Historic snow melt continues to threaten Yosemite with flooding
YOSEMITE - As warm weather continues in the Bay Area and throughout Northern California, the melting of the state's historic snowpack is ramping up.
Officials at UC Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Lab say about a third of the snowpack has melted over the last 5 weeks. Persisting above-average temperatures mean the rate of melting could increase.
Yosemite National Park is feeling the impact after seeing twice the normal amount of snow this year. As it melts into area rivers, the flood threat could interfere with people's vacation plans in the weeks to come.
Three popular campgrounds in the park are currently closed with a flood warning in effect for the nearby Merced River.
"It is amazing, I mean the amount of rain that we got and snowmelt," said Jeneane Petersen, standing in the splash of Lower Yosemite Falls. "It really is the result of the snowmelt that made this all possible so it's pretty incredible. It's like a once in a lifetime experience."
The force of the falls tells the story. Water is, once again, surging through the valley, and the Merced River is on the rise.
"We come every year for Mother's Day, and stay for a week," said Stacey, visiting from the central coast. "Been doing it for decades, just absolutely love it here, but this is the most water we've ever seen."
"The river level on the Merced peaked early this morning at just over 10 feet," said Yosemite National Park's Scott Gediman. "Which is considered flood stage."
The river is measured at the Pohono Bridge, where the water rises and falls a bit each day, even within the several days of warm weather. For now, the park is sticking with its current plan of three closed campgrounds. A bigger question may be how much of the snowpack does this wam stretch burn off.
"It'll be interesting to see how much is left because this is a cycle that could go, as you know, to the middle of June," Gediman said.
For the visitors here right now, the runoff is everywhere - and it is a sight to behold.
"Very impressive," said a southern Californian named Fred, watching the river. " It's a lot of water.
"It is impressive," Stacey said of the water. "There's a lot of new waterfalls that you don't normally see.
If the big melt keeps coming in these digestible sizes, it may unfold without too much disruption.
"As long as the snow melts nice and steady," Stacey laughed. "Instead of all at once, we're great."
