Flooding from melting snow closes most of Yosemite National Park

Most of Yosemite National Park will shut down starting late Friday in anticipation of a massive snowmelt that is threatening to flood the surrounding region in California, the park announced.

The closure will begin on Friday at 10 p.m. and last until Wednesday, May 3, or “possibly longer,” a park spokesperson tweeted, while additional flooding and closures could occur later in May or June.

Reservations for lodging and campgrounds in eastern Yosemite Valley are being automatically canceled and refunded, while wilderness permits can be rescheduled to alternate trailheads, park officials said.

While the Wawona, Mariposa Grove, Crane Flat, Hetch Hetchy and western Yosemite Valley areas will be open during this period, parking in this region “will be extremely limited” and no services will be available, park officials warned.

The forecasted floods are the result of a historic snowmelt that is likely in the cards following an unusually wet winter along the West Coast.

As of April 1, Yosemite’s snow-water equivalent — the amount of water contained in snow — was 240 percent higher than the seasonal average, according to the park’s website.

The park also closed down in early March after experiencing up to 15 feet of snow in some areas.

“Trails will be snowy a few months later than usual—probably well into July, depending on weather between now and then,” officials noted in a park update this week.

They also warned trekkers to change their expectations of what hikes will be possible in the coming months, adding that GPS, a paper topographic map and an analog compass are all critical.

“Snow-covered trails aren’t only difficult to travel on but may be impossible to find. Most of Yosemite’s trails become invisible with even a few inches of snow,” the officials added.