Huge storms expected to drop "heavy snowfall" in the Sierra Nevada have led Yosemite National Park officials to temporarily close Tioga Rd. to vehicles.
The artery – which runs East to West across the Sierra as Hwy. 120 – will close in the park in advance of "multiple" oncoming storms starting at 6 p.m. Thursday. Visitors won't have temporary access to Tuolumne Meadows or popular hikes like Clouds Rest and North Dome, places unreachable once the park's months-long seasonal closure goes into effect.
The temporary closure will last through at least Monday.
Another popular sightseeing route, Glacier Point Rd., will probably close as well, Yosemite Spokesperson Scott Gediman said.
"We're kind of in the in-between seasons here in Yosemite National Park," Gediman explained.
Tioga Rd. has already closed and open a few times in recent weeks.
"We certainly like to keep the roads open as long as we can but with the significant storm…for Sunday evening, we're thinking this might be the end of the year, but we'll just have to see what Mother Nature brings us," Gediman told KCBS Radio on Wednesday.
Last year, the road closed for the season on Nov. 5.
With California's ongoing drought continuing to dry up the Sierra and much of the state, the storm system's moisture will be very welcome. Several inches are forecast in Yosemite's high country, Gediman said.
The park's coronavirus-related reservation system ended at the start of October, which has led to an influx of fall visitors.
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