Yosemite National Park Waterfalls Flowing Again
Date: November 19, 2012

Weekend Storm System Produces Just under 2 Inches of Rain in Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, and other waterfalls in Yosemite Valley are flowing again after a series of storms over the weekend produced just under two inches of rain in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Falls, which has been dry for several months due to an exceptionally dry year, is flowing again for the first time since mid-July. The park recorded one of the driest years on record, and the driest winter since 2007.

"To see Bridalveil Fall going so strong is such a beautiful sight," stated Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park Superintendent. "After such a dry period, seeing the waterfalls flowing again is spectacular."

Snow levels remained high over the weekend, at about the 8,000 foot level. The park experienced the most significant storm of the season so far, which helped saturate extremely dry soils. The level of the Merced River, measured at the Happy Isles Gauging Station, had dipped to below four cubic feet per second (cfs) in October. This low level is very rare, and signified just how low the flow of Merced River had dropped. The storm system over the weekend has not had a huge effect on the level of the Merced River.

Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road within the park remain closed and will be assessed over the next few days. The park is expecting unsettled weather for the remainder of the week, with a chance for more rain, and possibly snow.


NPS Photo by Ryan Kirtland

Yes indeed the warm rain storm last Friday and Saturday was a good dose of water.

Drove the 189 miles to Yosemite Valley last Saturday morning gambling I might be able to frame some misty storm landscapes as the storm waned. But it rained lightly to moderately the whole 6 hours I was in the valley and for the most part there were too many clouds down inside the valley.

For about 3 hours I sat in my car parked along the meadow with a nice view of Yosemite Falls, North Dome, and Royal Arches. At least when they were visible. Small streams of water were even coming down the two cascades over the Royal Arches. And a pleasant way to lazily spend an afternoon eating snacks, reading, taking naps. Severall times the rain was light enough that I got out a bit in my rain gear and shot some images with my Canon SX130 digital camera. But never set up my view camera. Basically a $55 11 hour car wash and that is how it is sometimes. On the way home on SR120 it was raining very hard up at Crane Flat all the way to Groveland so lots of fresh greenery is likely to start showing.

One has to throw the dice sometimes if one ever wishes to come up with winners. And a week before on a Saturday morning did the same driving the 155 miles to Calaveras Big Trees State Park and managed the best image of snow and sequoias I've taken thus far.

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,60834

Will sit there again during another fall day

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http://www.davidsenesac.com

Quote
DavidSenesac

Drove the 189 miles to Yosemite Valley last Saturday morning gambling I might be able to frame some misty storm landscapes as the storm waned. But it rained lightly to moderately the whole 6 hours I was in the valley and for the most part there were too many clouds down inside the valley.

For about 3 hours I sat in my car parked along the meadow with a nice view of Yosemite Falls, North Dome, and Royal Arches. At least when they were visible. Small streams of water were even coming down the two cascades over the Royal Arches. And a pleasant way to lazily spend an afternoon eating snacks, reading, taking naps. Severall times the rain was light enough that I got out a bit in my rain gear and shot some images with my Canon SX130 digital camera. But never set up my view camera. Basically a $55 11 hour car wash and that is how it is sometimes. On the way home on SR120 it was raining very hard up at Crane Flat all the way to Groveland so lots of fresh greenery is likely to start showing.

There's far, far worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon...