The foothills in Mariposa County are generally above the incessant
wintertime fog that sits in the valley floor, are slightly cooler than
the sizzling hot temperatures in the valley in the summer and there is
typically plenty of sunshine most of the year. Yosemite Valley sees some
snow during the winter at times (elevation is about 4000 feet) but
certainly doesn't have the depth of snow that the higher elevations
receive at times (above 5500 feet).
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The weather in
the Sierra's can change dramatically anytime of the year
especially at the higher elevations. Yosemite National Park
ranges in elevation from about 2000 feet all the way to 13,000
feet. There are even two glaciers within the park's borders.
With the onset of snow at the higher elevations several roads
that typically close in early November are Highway 120 (Tioga
Pass Road), Badger Pass Road and Glacier Point Road. These roads
usually reopen again in late May. Note that these roads can
close at any time for short times |
during the rest of the season either from
snowfall or heavy rains which may trigger rock slides. The best time to see the waterfalls in Yosemite is from March through
early June which is when the snow melts. Some of the waterfalls tend to dry up later
in the summer or have a much reduced water flow.
Good times to visit the park are during the shoulder seasons including
early Spring and into Fall. The weather is still reasonable but these
are times of the year when the crowds are much diminished over their
summertime heights. |
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