Photo: Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park was partially reopened on Sunday after being closed since severe winter storm warnings Friday night.The park was originally closed down on February 29 when officials told visitors to stay away from the area in response to forecasts of heavy snowfall.
“Yosemite National Park will be closed starting tonight at midnight due to a major winter storm,” they announced on Instagram. “The park will remain closed at least through Sunday at noon (possibly later). Visitors currently in the park should leave as soon as possible, and no later than noon tomorrow, March 1.”
On Sunday, National Park Services announced the park would be partially reopened to the public and on Monday they gave an update on how the storm impacted the snowpack, although official snowfall totals won’t be available quite yet.
“This current storm should push us closer to average, maybe even above,” Yosemite National park said in an update posted to Facebook. “We’ll have to wait and see, but regardless, this year’s story is looking to be a lot different from last year’s April 1 record of 244 percent for the Tuolumne drainage.”
The quick closure and reopening shows a stark difference from the conditions during the past winter. Yosemite was closed through these same dates in 2023 for a stretch that lasted nearly three weeks. The initial closure came in late February and was expected to only last a few days. When more than three feet of snow fell in a single day, the closure was extended with an indefinite end date. Up to 15 feet fell in the following weeks before maintenance crews could finally clear the roads and any hazards.
