Most of the vast, scenic valley at the heart of Yosemite National Park in California will close to visitors this weekend in a rare shutdown prompted by forecasts of floods from rapid snowmelt
The closure will start at 10 p.m. on Friday and last at least until Wednesday, May 3, possibly longer, depending on how swiftly melting mountain snow runs off into the Merced River through Yosemite Valley, the National Park Service said on Tuesday.
The warm spell is expected to hasten a spring thaw following record winter snowfall in parts of the Sierra Nevada range. Heavy runoff down mountain slopes could send already swollen rivers spilling over their banks. Anderson told reporters he expects any snow melt flooding to be less severe than the deluge that resulted from Pacific storms in March.
About 100 miles to the north, the Merced River at the Pohono Bridge at the west end of the Yosemite Valley was forecast to top flood stage late this week, the park service said.
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