Yosemite National Park closed because of winter storms

Yosemite National Park is closed through Friday because of impacts from the winter storm, including heavy snowfall and heavy trees.

The National Park Service announced Thursday that the park is closed and that visitors with lodging reservations may still enter the park through Highway 140 at the Arch Rock entrance.

Since Monday, Yosemite Valley and the park has received about 4 feet of snow and up to 52 inches in some areas, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Next week, the park could get additional snowfall at elevations of about 9,000 to 10,000 feet, weather service meteorologist Emily Wilson said. Yosemite Valley could get rain because of higher temperatures, but the highest peaks could get an additional 12 to 18 inches of snow between Monday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, visitors from the campgrounds and Curry Village’s tent cabins were evacuated ahead of the storm earlier this week, according to SFGate. Employees who live in the tent cabins were moved into the Curry Village pavilion.