P.O. Box 577
Yosemite, CA 95389
www.nps.gov/yose/news

209 372-0529 phone
209 372-0371 fax

May 19 , 2005
For Immediate Release

Unusually Large Snow Pack Feeds Waterfalls, Slows Progress to Open Tioga Road

Yosemite National Park has experienced an unusually long, wet winter this year. Snow pack in the Merced River drainage is at 187% of an average year and the Tuolumne River drainage is at 179% of an average year. Snow densities are averaging about 50% water content. This wet weather has extended late into the spring season.

This has led to a particularly spectacular spring melt off that has Yosemite's waterfalls flowing beyond capacity. Visitors are enjoying a waterfall season in Yosemite Valley not witnessed in many years.

It has also created a very difficult job for the National Park Service employees tasked with clearing and opening the Tioga Road. Among the obstacles they are facing are extreme avalanche hazards, excessive numbers of downed trees, and rockfalls. The dense snow pack is causing multiple machinery failures and constant machinery maintenance.

In one area of the pass, workers are unable to blast a large rockfall covering the road because it is within an avalanche zone. High Sierra avalanches tend to be "slab" avalanches and occur when a whole sheet of dense snow slides on a granite face.

The Tioga Road will not be open before mid June and the opening could be later than that.

However, the Glacier Point Road will likely be open for Memorial Day weekend. Yosemite National Park management is projecting a May 27 opening date.

The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement regarding potential additional flooding of the Merced River in Yosemite Valley.

Visitors to Yosemite should use caution near rivers and creeks in the park. The Merced River is raging and beautiful, but should be viewed at a safe distance.

Hikers and backpackers entering Yosemite's high country will face difficult route finding due to partial or complete snow cover of trails. They should have orienteering skills to navigate when the trail is lost in the snow. High water creek crossings are another factor and hikers should be aware that a creek crossed in the morning may be unfordable in the afternoon.

Please visit www.nps.gov/yose/news/graphics for photographs of the road clearing effort on the Tioga Road.

-NPS-