Fans of Yosemite National Park can now enjoy beautiful sights that have been missing for several months: flowing waterfalls.
A weekend storm system deserves credit, having deposited nearly two inches of rain in the region to set Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall and other falls into liquid motion.
(Image at right, captured Monday, shows Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Credit: NPS / Ryan Kirtland.)
"To see Bridalveil Fall going so strong is such a beautiful sight," stated park superintendent Don Neubacher. "After such a dry period, seeing the waterfalls flowing again is spectacular."
Yosemite last winter recorded one of its driest seasons on record, and its driest since 2009.
Yosemite Falls had not had running water since mid-July.
The recent storm system, however, did not leave much snow, as the snow level was 8,000 feet.
But the rain helped saturate extremely dry soils. The level of the Merced River, measured at the Happy Isles Gauging Station, had dipped to below four cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) in October.
Such a low level is rare, and signified just how low the flow of Merced River had dropped.
Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road within Yosemite remain closed and will be assessed over the next few days.
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