Lassen Park Officials Measure 28-Foot Snow Walls During Road Clearing Efforts
The road clearing in Lassen Volcanic National Park continues as officials are beginning to realize just how big the snow numbers are from the historic winter of 2019.
Snow removal teams have now made it up to Emerald Lake and have been dealing with massive walls of snow. After clearing a large portion of the road, officials measured the snow in at 28 feet:
Now the snow removal teams are on the brink of reaching Bumpass Hell, which will continue to be under renovation for at least a month when the park opens this summer. Crews are updating the trail system in the popular hydrothermal area of the park and were cut short when the snow hit at the end of 2018.
CalTrans has begun assisting the snow removal crew, who still have a massive task ahead. While they’ve made significant progress in the north and south ends of the Lassen Park highway, they will have to continue to deal with massive walls of snow on their way to the Lassen Peak parking area, Summit Lake and Kings Creek.
Here is an updated map of the road openings:
When the springtime hits Lassen Volcanic National Park, park officials begin the massive undertaking of trying to clear the snow off the park’s roads in order to open access to the summer destinations in the park.
The road-clearing task, which began on March 28, typically lasts into late-May/early-June. Due to the heavy snowfall and up to 15 feet of snow still sitting in the park this year, the job might last well into July. In 2018, with very little winter snowfall, the road fully opened on May 27.
Clearing the park highway is no quick or easy undertaking. Snow accumulates on the 30-mile park highway throughout the winter season (typically November through April). Snow depth can reach up to 30 feet at the highest elevations, with drifts occasionally reach as high as 40 feet. The highway may open in sections as conditions allow and as clearing operations continue. It will open to through traffic once it is safe for vehicles, not just only when it is cleared of snow. The road clearing process can take up to three months
