‘Good enough for the Christmas card.’ See photos of a Yosemite transformed by thick snowfall
A cloud above Yosemite Valley glowed with a subtle rainbow sheen as photographer Arwin Levinson admired the misty magic hovering over snow-covered rock walls and domes from Tunnel View in Yosemite National Park.
“It’s so beautiful,” Levinson said Wednesday afternoon after driving all day from Las Vegas to photograph the snowy scene. “Nothing really can compare, and I’ve traveled all over.”
Heavy snow fell in Yosemite Valley the day before Levinson’s arrival. It was a special treat for visitors of the iconic valley, home to the park’s most famous waterfalls.
Yosemite Valley, which sits at about 4,000 feet in elevation, and other mountain locations between 3,000 and 5,000 feet, got up to an estimated foot of snow, with several feet more estimated at higher elevations, the National Weather Service at Hanford reported.
That’s an uncommon amount for Yosemite Valley in recent years due to the drought, said NWS meteorologist David Spector, who added that snow fell as low as 1,500 feet. Additional snow that fell Wednesday night into early Thursday from Yosemite to the Southern Sierra was nowhere close to Tuesday’s storm, Spector said.
More is expected next week. Following sunny conditions forecast through the weekend, there’s a chance of snow in Yosemite Valley again on Tuesday, with one to two feet of snow expected at higher elevations around 6,000 feet and above through Thursday, Spector said. An earlier NWS forecast showed snow could start falling as low as 3,400 feet, but that changed. Another storm should follow late in the week that’s expected to move out Christmas day, he added.
This week’s snowfall helped many Yosemite visitors get more immersed in the holiday season.
“Is it good enough for the Christmas card?” asked one park visitor after posing for a family photo at Tunnel View.
A resounding “Yes!” followed from the photographer.
Park visitors enjoy winter sights, ice skating, skiing, snow play
Leah Garcia of Merced was enjoying her first trip to Yosemite in the snow on Wednesday. Her little dogs Bowie, a long-haired dachshund, and Louie, a Yorkshire terrier, accompanied her wearing matching red jackets.
She said winter is her new favorite season in Yosemite.
“Everywhere you go looks like a painting,” Garcia said while standing at the edge of the Ahwahnee Meadow. “It’s so pretty. It’s really breathtaking. ... It’s just so quiet here. There’s not a lot of people. In the summer, it’s packed.”
She went ice skating later at the ice skating rink at Curry Village, with more impressive views of Half Dome.
Among those partaking in the Yosemite skating was 4-year-old Alex Idiart of Groveland, who had just finished skiing with his family around Crane Flat Campground, one of several good Yosemite snow play areas.
He said he felt “fun” at the ice skating rink. His mother, Alana Idiart, was enjoying the winter fun, too.
“We love coming up here in the winter, especially when they have snow in the valley, it’s pretty unusual,” she said of serene, snowy Yosemite Valley.
Above Yosemite Valley, the Nordic Center at Badger Pass Ski Area along Glacier Point Road is scheduled to open this weekend for cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals. Downhill skiing and snowboarding there is expected to start Dec. 24.
Yosemite road conditions and tire chain requirements
Glacier Point Road beyond Badger Pass is now closed due to snow, as is Tioga Road, which crosses over the Sierra in the park. The park’s Hetch Hetchy and Mariposa Grove roads were also closed.
Yosemite Valley and many other parts of the park remain accessible. Day-use reservations are no longer needed to enter Yosemite.
When storms hit, snow tire chains or cables are often required for all without all-wheel and four-wheel drive, or are required to be carried by everyone just in case. This usually happens between November and March. Snowplows are active clearing roads when it snows.
On Wednesday, much of the Wawona Road, which extends from Yosemite’s south entrance to Yosemite Valley (Highway 41 outside the park) was covered with a thin layer of snow and ice, but was easily passable for all-wheel and four-wheel-drive vehicles without tire chains or cables.
Check Yosemite road and chain conditions on the park’s website, nps.gov/yose, and by calling 209-372-0200, then pressing 1 and 1 again. Information about highway conditions and restrictions outside Yosemite are available on the Caltrans website or by calling 800-427-7623.
This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 3:00 PM with the headline "‘Good enough for the Christmas card.’ See photos of a Yosemite transformed by thick snowfall."
