• View of Half Dome and Washington Column in Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite

    National Park California

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  • Tioga & Glacier Point Roads Closed for the Winter

    The Tioga Road (Highway 120 through the park) and Glacier Point Road are closed due to snow. You can check on current road conditions and chain restrictions by calling 209/372-0200 (press 1 then 1). More »

Snow Cover in Yosemite

2011 Spring Peak: Merced River peaked at 10.43 feet on June 16.


 

View how Yosemite National Park's snow cover melts throughout a spring season. The following 2010 series of six graphics shows changes in snow-covered areas. In Yosemite and surrounding mountains, most precipitation falls during the winter months as snow that accumulates above 6,000 feet (1,830 meters), making a natural water tower that slowly melts and releases water during the spring and early summer. The area of snow cover shown in each figure represents maximum extent of snow during eight days--including and following the date shown on each figure. Snow-cover data are distributed free of charge by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and are derived from daily imagery provided by the MODIS sensor on NASA's Terra satellite, one of three satellites in NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS).

 
Yosemite boundary map with marked snow cover
Snow Cover: March 30 plus next seven days. Data courtesy of MODIS.
 
Yosemite boundary map with snow areas marked
Snow Cover: April 23 plus next seven days. Data courtesy of MODIS.
 
Yosemite boundary map with snow areas marked
Snow Cover: May 9 plus next seven days. Data courtesy of MODIS.
 
Yosemite boundary map with snow areas marked
Snow Cover: May 25 plus next seven days. Data courtesy of MODIS
 
Yosemite boundary map with snow areas marked
Snow Cover: June 18 plus next seven days. Data courtesy of MODIS.
 
Yosemite boundary map with snow areas marked
Snow Cover: July 4 plus next seven days. Data courtesy of MODIS.
 
Legend showing five colors

Data Source: Hall, D.K., G.A. Riggs, and V.V. Salomonson. 2000, updated weekly. MODIS/Terra Snow Cover 8-Day L3 Global 500m Grid V004 , January to March 2003. Boulder, CO, USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. Digital media.

Did You Know?

Great gray owl (photo by Cameron Rognan)

In 90 years of serving Yosemite National Park, the Conservancy has seen many accomplishments. From restoring the
habitat of the great gray owl to funding the first museum in the Valley, Yosemite Conservancy has played a vital role
in the preservation and protection of Yosemite. More...