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Contact: Sintia Kawasaki-Yee, (559) 679-2866
A winter storm warning has been issued for the southern Sierra Nevada starting Friday afternoon that will impact travel into and within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
The parks have been actively plowing and clearing roads of fallen trees since last weekend’s storm. The Generals Highway leading into the Giant Forest was closed for most of the week, and tire chain restrictions have been in place for other areas. Giant Forest Museum and Kings Canyon Visitor Center were closed most of this week due to power outages and road closures.
This next storm is expected to bring more snow starting Friday afternoon and high winds expected Sunday, which may create hazardous conditions with falling trees and branches, power outages, and slick roads.
“Travel into Sequoia and Kings Canyon under these conditions may make for very challenging and potentially dangerous travel,” said Ned Kelleher, Chief Ranger for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. “The most recent storm has left very little room to maneuver and nowhere to put new snow. The trees are snow and ice laden and the accumulating new snow will cause failures.”
Visitors are asked to carefully plan their visit, call the main park line for current road condition information at 559-565-3341, and travel with extreme caution if they decide to visit. More information on tire chain restrictions and current conditions can also be found on www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit, and the best source for park weather information is www.weather.gov.
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About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
These two parks, which lie-side-by-side in the southern Sierra Nevada in Central California, serve as a prime example of nature’s size, beauty, and diversity. Over 2 million visitors from across the U.S. and the world visit these parks for the world’s largest trees (by volume), grand mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, the highest point in the lower 48 states, and more. Learn more at http://www.nps.gov/seki or 559-565-3341.
Last updated: January 12, 2024