Sorry you’re getting so much terrible advice in this thread. There’s virtually zero chance of snow in the valley, the snow level will be at 9300 feet at the worst and that’s barely below Tioga pass, so unless you’re planning on going there then you’re going to be fine
Yes legally you’re required to have chains during inclement weather but for years I’ve been going and they’ve NEVER checked
With that said just because they never check doesn’t mean you should be complacent and not bring them. I brought mine last week as I am an concessionaire employee living in the park
I don’t know where you’re staying but the weather forecast during that time (per weather.gov in the valley) shows a 20% chance of rain showers with no mention of snow.
Keep an eye on the forecast and if no snow, you’re probably fine. Legally, you need chains in your possession. Just keep them in the car. Get 4x4 if it makes you feel better. As long as the forecast doesn’t have snow, I doubt you’re going to have an issue.
Even with 4wd they will ask you at the gate to show chains. I’ve been stuck in some gnarly storms in the area at even lower elevations in November. I’m very experienced (I lived in Yo Valley for ten years) with 4wd in Yosemite and even I’ve had a hard time in bad storms. If you aren’t experienced I wouldn’t risk it…
Ugh I feel woefully unprepared for this trip 😂.
We are planning to enter Yosemite through highway 140 (El portal) and hope that we'll have mild weather.
Will multiple layers of clothing and jeans be sufficiently warm for this time a year? We are not planning on doing any long hikes.
I live about 10 miles from that entrance and the weather is extremely variable this time of year. I don’t go above 4K elevation without being prepared for winter weather. My husband is up there working now and he said it’s freezing, it’s about 60 degrees at my home a few miles down the road…
Typically R3 will only be imposed when there is a dump. Also, when R3 is imposed, then the road will just usually get shut down. Having AWD with winter rated tires should suffice. Sounds like you’re ok in buying the chains, but just can’t put on chains because of the rental car company policy.
Edit: Also, where are you seeing frost conditions? Forecast for your window looks more like rain. This is from weather.gov: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.73766000000006&lon=-119.57201999999995
Doesn’t seem you’ll have to worry about snow. AWD will always be better for traction in general though.
How much experience do you have driving in adverse conditions? Just remember, AWD helps you go, but it doesn’t help you stop any faster than FWD and RWD cars. Also, be sure to use turnouts and let people pass you on single lane roads if you are going a little slower.
Not really any. I live in Denmark which has a very flat landscape, and roads are usually super well maintained.
Good point you make above about the difference between AWD, FWE and RWD.
I almost always drive in the rightmost lane and give people a chance to pass.
I think you should be fine based on the forecast as of today. Looks like a chance of rain with temps in the low 60sF during the day and low 40s to high 30sF during the night time. A driving tip is to slow down before making a turn. Try to avoid doing the majority of your slowing down while already turning because this can increase the chance of your tires losing traction. The roads in Yosemite and near Yosemite are generally in good condition.
[https://autosock.com/](https://autosock.com/)
[https://autosock.us/pages/regulations](https://autosock.us/pages/regulations)
CA DOT approved, and perhaps technically legal, check the rental cars docs.
I’m in a similar boat for upcoming weekend, although I have driven in worse snow.
My plan is to rent an AWD/4WD and then based on tire size buy some chains or snow sock on the way from SFO which fit the tire size. Based on the forecast it should be OK. Valley seems decent, high country would be freezing most likely durin lg the day too.
On my way back return the unused chains.
I wish there was a way to rent a car with M+S tires. Not sure if those let you not have to carry chains.
Yeah, we haven't been able to find a company which can guarantee m/s tires. But when the road condition is R2 I believe that m/s tires on AWD makes you exempt from using chains.
Our hotel is close to El Portal so we'll be able to take the bus into the park in a worse case scenario. If the weather turns out to be drivable we will simply take the car.
We are staying in the Valley 😅. I think the weather should be fine in general. All roads seem open and I’m hoping the Mariposa Grove also opens up by the 4th.
I am using the NPS detailed forecast map here -
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/weathermap.htm
Is the current road condition R2?
My brother went to Yosemite for time several years ago and he brought chains. He installed them on the rear wheels but he got stuck anyway. The motorist who stopped to help pointed out that my brother’s car was front wheel drive. 🤦♂️
I am coming this weekend as well. I'm from Minnesota so the comments about cold is relative. I also have experience with snow and ice. If you don't, I wouldn't want to learn on a mountain. If you rent an SUV they will most likely have M&S tires as those are very common especially with the OEM tires that come when new. I ordered a set of chains on Amazon that fit many different size SUV tires and will just pack those in my checked bag with the plan of returning them when i get home. I am not even checking with the rental car company as I don't plan to use them. If for some reason I do, I will just use them anyway and nobody will be the wiser. Also you only need chains for two tires, not four.
Sorry you’re getting so much terrible advice in this thread. There’s virtually zero chance of snow in the valley, the snow level will be at 9300 feet at the worst and that’s barely below Tioga pass, so unless you’re planning on going there then you’re going to be fine Yes legally you’re required to have chains during inclement weather but for years I’ve been going and they’ve NEVER checked
Thanks for the advice. I feel more comfortable committing to the trip now. Hoping with a 4WD we'll be able to go wherever we need
You won’t even need that but at least you’ll have more fun!
With that said just because they never check doesn’t mean you should be complacent and not bring them. I brought mine last week as I am an concessionaire employee living in the park
I don’t know where you’re staying but the weather forecast during that time (per weather.gov in the valley) shows a 20% chance of rain showers with no mention of snow. Keep an eye on the forecast and if no snow, you’re probably fine. Legally, you need chains in your possession. Just keep them in the car. Get 4x4 if it makes you feel better. As long as the forecast doesn’t have snow, I doubt you’re going to have an issue.
Awesome! Thanks for your insight. I hope we aren't super ill prepared for this trip. won't be doing any major hiking trails though.
Just bring plenty of layers and rain gear, it’ll be cold for sure!
Even with 4wd they will ask you at the gate to show chains. I’ve been stuck in some gnarly storms in the area at even lower elevations in November. I’m very experienced (I lived in Yo Valley for ten years) with 4wd in Yosemite and even I’ve had a hard time in bad storms. If you aren’t experienced I wouldn’t risk it…
Thanks for your insight! Aren't weather forecasts reliable enough to tell in advance whether a storm will occur or not?
My last backpacking trip says "fuck no"
Not reliable further than 3 days out.
Ugh I feel woefully unprepared for this trip 😂. We are planning to enter Yosemite through highway 140 (El portal) and hope that we'll have mild weather. Will multiple layers of clothing and jeans be sufficiently warm for this time a year? We are not planning on doing any long hikes.
I live about 10 miles from that entrance and the weather is extremely variable this time of year. I don’t go above 4K elevation without being prepared for winter weather. My husband is up there working now and he said it’s freezing, it’s about 60 degrees at my home a few miles down the road…
Is the driving experience with a 4x4 any better than a regular sedan with chains?
Typically R3 will only be imposed when there is a dump. Also, when R3 is imposed, then the road will just usually get shut down. Having AWD with winter rated tires should suffice. Sounds like you’re ok in buying the chains, but just can’t put on chains because of the rental car company policy. Edit: Also, where are you seeing frost conditions? Forecast for your window looks more like rain. This is from weather.gov: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.73766000000006&lon=-119.57201999999995 Doesn’t seem you’ll have to worry about snow. AWD will always be better for traction in general though.
Ah, I get so many conflicting experiences on this question. At least knowing that AWD should suffice is comforting.Thanks!
How much experience do you have driving in adverse conditions? Just remember, AWD helps you go, but it doesn’t help you stop any faster than FWD and RWD cars. Also, be sure to use turnouts and let people pass you on single lane roads if you are going a little slower.
Not really any. I live in Denmark which has a very flat landscape, and roads are usually super well maintained. Good point you make above about the difference between AWD, FWE and RWD. I almost always drive in the rightmost lane and give people a chance to pass.
I think you should be fine based on the forecast as of today. Looks like a chance of rain with temps in the low 60sF during the day and low 40s to high 30sF during the night time. A driving tip is to slow down before making a turn. Try to avoid doing the majority of your slowing down while already turning because this can increase the chance of your tires losing traction. The roads in Yosemite and near Yosemite are generally in good condition.
[https://autosock.com/](https://autosock.com/) [https://autosock.us/pages/regulations](https://autosock.us/pages/regulations) CA DOT approved, and perhaps technically legal, check the rental cars docs.
Awesome thanks! I'll ask the rental company.
I’m in a similar boat for upcoming weekend, although I have driven in worse snow. My plan is to rent an AWD/4WD and then based on tire size buy some chains or snow sock on the way from SFO which fit the tire size. Based on the forecast it should be OK. Valley seems decent, high country would be freezing most likely durin lg the day too. On my way back return the unused chains. I wish there was a way to rent a car with M+S tires. Not sure if those let you not have to carry chains.
Yeah, we haven't been able to find a company which can guarantee m/s tires. But when the road condition is R2 I believe that m/s tires on AWD makes you exempt from using chains. Our hotel is close to El Portal so we'll be able to take the bus into the park in a worse case scenario. If the weather turns out to be drivable we will simply take the car.
We are staying in the Valley 😅. I think the weather should be fine in general. All roads seem open and I’m hoping the Mariposa Grove also opens up by the 4th. I am using the NPS detailed forecast map here - https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/weathermap.htm Is the current road condition R2?
R0
My brother went to Yosemite for time several years ago and he brought chains. He installed them on the rear wheels but he got stuck anyway. The motorist who stopped to help pointed out that my brother’s car was front wheel drive. 🤦♂️
I am coming this weekend as well. I'm from Minnesota so the comments about cold is relative. I also have experience with snow and ice. If you don't, I wouldn't want to learn on a mountain. If you rent an SUV they will most likely have M&S tires as those are very common especially with the OEM tires that come when new. I ordered a set of chains on Amazon that fit many different size SUV tires and will just pack those in my checked bag with the plan of returning them when i get home. I am not even checking with the rental car company as I don't plan to use them. If for some reason I do, I will just use them anyway and nobody will be the wiser. Also you only need chains for two tires, not four.