Yosemite National Park will reopen in part after a three-week closure.
Yosemite National Park to partially reopen after 3-week closure
A view of El Capitan as snow blanked Yosemite National Park in California on February 22, 2023. The park will partially reopen on Saturday.
The US National Park Service has announced that Yosemite National Park will start to reopen on Saturday with restricted access and operating hours. The park is still closed right now.
A string of destructive storms that have swept across the area in recent weeks forced the closure of the well-liked park, which is tucked away in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
At Tuolumne Meadows, snowfall since February 21 has reached a height of more than 15 feet (4.6 meters), which is higher than the typical single-story home. Rainfall totaled 21 inches (53 centimeters) due to warmer storms.
Almost two dozen documented rockslides and debris flows that affected roads were caused by the winter storms, which also severely damaged park facilities and roads. According to the park, most of these have been cleaned up.
The main thoroughfares have been cleared, and the higher elevations’ snow has been plowed. Smaller park roads and the areas they access will continue to be blocked off.
Yosemite National Park is set to reopen following damaging storms that left behind 15 feet of snow and prompted several rockslides.
This weekend, Yosemite will be open from dawn until dusk. On Monday, the Yosemite Valley portion of the park will be open 24 hours a day with a small amount of overnight lodging. Because they are still covered in snow, campgrounds will continue to be closed.
More severe weather is predicted for the area, so visitors are advised to prepare with warm, waterproof clothing and vehicle chains.
