Ebbetts Pass
The quietest of the trans-Sierra passes — one lane wide in places, no center stripe near the top. Caltrans clears it each spring with Sonora and Monitor, and it regularly opens within days of its neighbors.
This year
Live plow-season reports load here. For today's conditions, go straight to Caltrans's status page.
Conditions change by the hour at 8,730 feet — check Caltrans's status page before you drive.
The record
Usually opens in May.
We're still putting this road's year-by-year record together from Caltrans archives — it will appear here as it's confirmed. In the meantime, Caltrans's page has current conditions.
When does Ebbetts Pass close?
Closes with the first lasting snow, usually November. The winter closure covers CA-4 over the pass between Bear Valley and Silver Creek.
We don't have this road's year-by-year closing dates yet — they'll appear here as Caltrans's notices are worked through. Until then, Caltrans's own page has the state of the gate.
Ebbetts Pass: opening and closing questions
- When does Ebbetts Pass close for the winter?
- Closes with the first lasting snow, usually November. The winter closure covers CA-4 over the pass between Bear Valley and Silver Creek.
- Can you drive Ebbetts Pass in winter?
- No. CA-4 over the pass between Bear Valley and Silver Creek is gated once the season ends, and it stays shut until spring plowing gets through. Caltrans posts the gate's current state.
- Is Ebbetts Pass open right now?
- This page is the season record, not the road's condition this morning. California Department of Transportation publishes today's state of the road, and that is the one to check before you drive — conditions turn over in hours at this elevation.
- When does Ebbetts Pass open again?
- Usually opens in May.