YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A Yosemite National Park official says two roads will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning Tuesday ahead of a series of storms expected to dump at least a foot of snow on the highest peaks.
Park spokeswoman Jamie Richards said Monday Tioga Road, the soaring eastern entry to the park, will close at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Officials will also close Glacier Point Road, which offers sweeping views of Yosemite Valley.
She says the roads will be closed at least through the Thanksgiving weekend and that they will reopen as weather and road conditions permit. Forecasters say Northern California will get rain and snow starting Wednesday with that higher elevations getting between 12 and 18 inches of snow.
Richards says that visitors are required to carry tire chains while driving in the park during the winter months.
In the Lake Tahoe region, rain and snow are expected over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Tahoe Daily Tribune reports that the National Weather Service is predicting rough road conditions Wednesday, one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The Sierra has been going through a dry spell with sunny skies and high temperatures in the 50's. Forecasters are advising motorists to expect long delays. They also say travelers should head over Sierra passes before early Wednesday afternoon.
They say snow through Thanksgiving morning could range from 6-12 inches for areas above 8,000 feet and four inches at Lake Tahoe level. Also, potential crosswinds on U.S. 50 and Interstate 80 could be problematic for bigger vehicles. A heavier storm is expected to land after Thanksgiving.