Most of Yosemite Valley will close to the public this Friday, through at least Wednesday of next week, because of the potential for flooding along the Merced River.
The shutdown at the park will affect campgrounds, hotels, shops and visitor centers in the valley, the most popular part of Yosemite. Park officials warn that the closure will likely mean other parts of Yosemite see much heavier traffic. Officials say visitors should prepare for limited parking throughout the park.
Wawona, Mariposa Grove, Hetch Hetchy and the Crane Flat area will remain open. Tioga Pass is still amid a wintertime closure.
The Merced River flows through Yosemite National Park. The river is expected to flood in certain locations later this week as the snowmelt accelerates.
Brontë Wittpenn/The ChronicleThe California Nevada River Forecast Center is projecting that the Merced River will hit flood stage early Friday and flirt with high water levels throughout the weekend. The current forecast is for the river to top out at 1.4 feet above flood stage on Sunday.
The flooding is expected to be enough to potentially lap over roads and trails, but it won’t likely approach the major flooding that occurred during the wet winter of 2017 when hundreds of people had to be evacuated from the valley. The benchmark for bad floods is 1997 when the river peaked in January at 13 feet above flood stage, washing out bridges and roads and trapping more than 2,000 people in the park for two days.
This week’s high water comes amid a warming trend across much of California. Temperatures in Yosemite Valley will gradually rise this week, from the mid-70s to the low 80s, according to the National Weather Service, causing increased snowmelt at higher elevations.
A motorist drives through a large puddle in Yosemite National Park on Tuesday. The melting of the immense Sierra snowpack is swelling rivers in the park and elsewhere in California.
Brontë Wittpenn/The ChronicleWith Friday’s closure, there will be no vehicle or pedestrian access east of El Capitan Crossover, the road that goes over the Merced River near El Capitan.
Reservations for lodging and camping in the valley will be automatically canceled and refunded, according to park officials.
The valley is expected to reopen mid-week next week, but officials say that will depend on water levels in the Merced River. The immense snowpack could lead to more flooding over the next two months, officials warn, and more closures could come.
Reach Kurtis Alexander: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
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April 26, 2023 at 01:58AM
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Yosemite Valley to close Friday as melting snow causes flood risk - San Francisco Chronicle
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