Yosemite National Park closed because of massive snowstorm
Yosemite National Park was closed Friday because of the massive storm that was dumping several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada.
The National Park Service announced on Thursday that the park would remain closed at least through Sunday at noon and possibly later. Visitors who were already in the park were urged to "leave as soon as possible" and no later than by noon Friday.
The National Weather Service said a Winter Storm Warning was in effect for the Lower Sierra and Yosemite Valley from 4 a.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday. Several feet of snow were forecast throughout Yosemite and the Park Service said Badger Pass could receive over seven feet of snow.
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The Park Service said areas outside the park would remain open as the lower elevations were expecting little to no snow.
The snowstorm in Yosemite comes just days after a sunny display that attracts hundreds of photographers to the eastern edge of El Capitan. The "firefall" effect at Horsetail Fall is eagerly anticipated in late February when a sunset perfectly aligns with the waterfall to create a unique orange glow effect.
Farther north, the snowstorm was blanketing the Greater Lake Tahoe area and a blizzard warning was in effect until 10 p.m. Sunday. The Weather Service said snow accumulations would reach between 3 and 6 feet in the Tahoe basin and up to 10 feet above 7,000 feet.
Wind gusts were expected to reach 70 mph in the lower elevations and above 115 mph over the ridges. People were warned not to travel because of "treacherous and potentially life-threatening" conditions with near-zero visibility at times because of blowing snow.