Yosemite Closes Over Flooding Threat As Huge Snowpack Melts
Farmland in the Tulare Lake Basin is submerged in water in Corcoran, Calif., Thursday, April 20, 2023, after more than a dozen atmospheric rivers dumped record-setting rain and snowfall. Residents in rural communities in the heart of the state are facing the prospect of being marooned by rising rivers or flooded out. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LEMOORE, Calif. (AP) — Park officials are temporarily closing much of the famed Yosemite Valley due to a forecast of flooding as rising temperatures are expected to melt the massive snowpack accumulated in California’s mountains from a series of winter storms.
Yosemite National Park announced Tuesday on social media that most of the valley will close starting late Friday and stay closed at least until May 3.
Reservations for campgrounds and lodging in the eastern Yosemite Valley will automatically be canceled and refunded.
Other areas including western Yosemite Valley will remain open, officials said.
