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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bracing for more floods and snowmelt, three Yosemite campgrounds will close on Monday

A family walks on a boardwalk through a flooded Sentinel Meadow on April 28 in Yosemite Valley, Calif.  (ERIC PAUL ZAMORA)
By Rosanna Xia Los Angeles Times

Amid warming temperatures, record snowmelt and yet another flood forecast, Yosemite National Park announced that three campgrounds will be closed starting Monday.

Housekeeping Camp and the Lower and North Pines campgrounds will remain closed until conditions clear up – and additional closures are possible, park officials said. More updates will be provided by Monday evening.

A flood watch issued Saturday evening by the National Weather Service is in effect through at least Friday. Officials say the Merced River could reach 12.6 feet by midweek and overtop Pohono Bridge, an iconic stone crossing in Yosemite Valley.

After an extreme series of storms blanketed the Sierra Nevada with record-setting snow, the entire park was closed for nearly a month from late February to mid-March. Most campsites had to close again in late April as the normally serene Merced River surged over its banks.

Unlike last month’s flood forecast, the latest forecast calls for warm weather indefinitely, which could accelerate snowmelt and flooding.

As of May 1, officials said, Yosemite still had more than double the average amount of snow on the ground for this time of year.

“The combination of extended hot weather and abundant snow means the Merced River may remain above flood stage for some time,” park officials said. Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, Bridalveil Fall and Yosemite Falls are also flowing very powerfully.