Elizabeth Weise
USA TODAY
Yosemite National Park will remain off-limits through at least Sunday as park workers struggle to clear roadways and make it safe for visitors to return after a major winter storm first forced its closure on Feb. 25.
"It's not safe to open the park," said Ranger Scott Gediman, the park's Public Affairs officer. "Hotel and campground reservations are canceled through Sunday."
In some areas the snow is as deep as 15 feet.
"We're still digging out from the first storm. Our operators are plowing roads to try to get two lanes open, clearing snow from fire hydrants and there are still some buildings and employee homes that need to be dug out," he said.
Park officials had originally hoped to reopen on March 2 but then it snowed again on March 1, prompting them to say the park would be closed indefinitely.
With another storm system predicted to hit Thursday into Friday, Gediman said officials planned to reassess on Sunday with Monday, March 13 being the first possible opening day.
"We love our visitors and want to welcome them back, but safety is the top priority," he said. The park's website and social media will be updated when the park reopens.
The extreme amount of snow, up to 15 feet in some areas, created dangerous conditions, said Garrett Dickman, a forest ecologist at the park.
"There's no margin for errors," he said.
"The weight of the snow is so much that it's breaking trees. Those big cliffs hold snow until they don't and then it sheds off. My crew filmed a huge avalanche coming off El Capitan."
The 15 day closure is long but not unheard of. Yosemite has experiencef both complete and partial closures since its opening in 1890, caused by major events that make it unsafe for the public to be inside the 1,169 square mile national treasure.
In 2021 a powerful wind storm in January downed trees and damaged park buildings the park was closed for several days while roadways were cleared. Large snowstorms in 2011 and 1995 also caused closures, said Gediman.
"In the past, the park has also been closed for fires, government shutdowns, floods, rockfalls and storms," he said.
