Yosemite is Open Early
 

...lots of campsites are available, and the bears have even come out of hibernation early to entertain all comers.

I wonder when 120 will open this year. With the lack of snow, it could be open early too.

Yosemite never closes (well except when its on fire), so are talking about some particular bits, or just joking around.

The lack of snowfall has opened up much of the park to activities usually available only other seasons. Trails that are normally closed are open. Roads that are normally closed are open. Campgrounds normally closed until June will open early and bike rides/ horse stables opened this weekend.

Does anyone know how the lack of rain/snow is affecting the waterfalls?

Also, I know you guys are having a drought but it's still only January, isn't it possible there could still be significant snow and/or rain this winter?

I just looked at some webcams, things look very brown. I suppose they are usually covered with snow at this time. When do things usually green up?

There really aren't waterfalls this time of year - ever . . . Well there are but not spectacular. Yosemite falls for instance is basically dry all winter except for some light falling snow/mist on the upper fall.

So the drought hasn't affected anything yet (except the fire danger is quite high)

The effect will be in early summer when the falls dry up earlier than normal.

Things are always brown in the foothills/mountains from late summer til late winter when things normally start to green up again.

We sure do hope for a change in the weather pattern - all the 'weather' is being diverted north into Canada and then down into the Midwest / east coast.

isabel, I live very near the coastal hills and mountains to the west of the San Francisco Bay Area between the Bay and the Ocean. Normally the hills are green with newly sprouting grass, plants and soon to be blooming wildflowers. There is very little in the way of green. Everything is brown and the air quality is not good. We have had a gazillion "spare the air" days. For someone with asthma like me, it has been much worse than normal.

Temps here next week are predicted to be in the low 70s with some clouds next week, but nothing in the way of rain is forecasted for the next week to ten days.

It is possible that we might have a very wet spring, but the high pressure that has been causing this for over 18 months shows no signs of weakening in the near future.

We were in Yosemite earlier this month. Tioga Pass was still closed even though there isn't much snow in the mountains. The waterfalls weren't going very much but as janisj has mentioned, this is normal in the winter. There was a little snow in the valley but only in areas that don't get sun this time of the year.

I also live in the SF Bay area and it is breaking my heart not to see our green hills! No one can say if we will get rain or snow before our rainy season ends. There doesn't seem to be much hope for the rest of the month of January, but there is talk of change coming for February. Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

Utahtea