Severe weather conditions, including flash floods in San Diego, freezing rain in the Midwest and Northeast, and heavy rainfall in the southern U.S., have caused havoc across the country. Southern California, the Southeast, and Texas are responding to flash flood warnings amidst heavy rainfall, with San Diego declaring a state of emergency. The warmer temperatures and melting snow are expected to lead to oversaturated soil, increasing the risk of flash floods. Additionally, Memphis residents are asked to boil water after freezing temperatures broke water pipes, and freezing rain and snowfall are forecasted for the Midwest and Northeast.
Warmer-than-average weather is causing increased snowmelt in the Sierra, leading to potential flooding on several waterways including the Merced River near Yosemite National Park. The river could reach flood stage as early as Monday evening, with forecasters projecting water levels to keep rising past flood stage through the end of this week. Some campgrounds in the park are already closed, and more closures are possible in the coming days. Anyone with reservations in Yosemite National Park should be aware of likely closures this week due to issues with runoff, which may occur at any point between now and late June.
The National Park Service is closing most of Yosemite Valley, including Yosemite Village, Curry Village, and the Ahwahnee, as the Merced River is expected to reach flood levels due to snowmelt. The closure starts at 10 a.m. Friday. Photos show the rising river and swollen waterways in the park.
Yosemite Valley in California will close to visitors from 10 p.m. on Friday due to forecasts of floods from rapid snowmelt. The closure will last at least until Wednesday, May 3, possibly longer, depending on how swiftly melting mountain snow runs off into the Merced River through Yosemite Valley. The warm spell is expected to hasten a spring thaw following record winter snowfall in parts of the Sierra Nevada range.
Yosemite National Park will shut down most of its areas due to the forecasted flooding caused by a historic snowmelt, which is expected to occur in California. The closure will last until May 3, and additional flooding and closures could occur later in May or June. The park's snow-water equivalent was 240% higher than the seasonal average as of April 1. While some areas will remain open, parking will be limited, and no services will be available. The park advises trekkers to change their expectations of what hikes will be possible in the coming months.
California is bracing for more flooding as temperatures rise and record-deep snowpack in the southern Sierra Nevada begins to melt and make its way downhill. The flooding that has already occurred was the result of dozens of powerful atmospheric rivers at the start of this year that caused more than $40 million worth of damage in Tulare County alone. The state is taking steps to help, including providing shelter assistance for displaced residents and aid for affected farmworkers, as well as supplying millions of sandbags, portable barriers called muscle walls and other flood prevention supplies. However, much of the response will fall to the four Tulare Basin counties, which are not part of the Department of Water Resources’ Central Valley Flood Protection Plan.
Most of Yosemite valley will close this weekend due to warming temperatures that threaten the region with a surge in snowmelt, which is expected to push the Merced River beyond its banks. Forecasters have warned that runoff from California’s historic snowpack could cause widespread flooding. The Merced River is expected to reach 11.5ft at the Pohono Bridge by Sunday afternoon, and if it rises a foot higher, the main roads in Yosemite valley will be inundated.
Warmer temperatures and snowmelt have increased the risk of major floods along the Mississippi River, with over 1.4 million people under flood warnings. The "2023 Spring snowmelt flood" is expected to cause flooding from Dubuque, Iowa, to Illinois City, Illinois. In California, Yosemite National Park will close due to forecast flooding of the Merced River caused by higher temperatures and snowmelt. Governor Gavin Newsom toured flood damage in Kings and Tulare counties and warned that more water is on the way, with snowpack in nearby parts of the Sierra Nevada at 320% of average.
A rural community in California, the Island District, is preparing for potential floods as a result of melting snow from the Sierra Nevada mountains. The area is surrounded by rivers and channels that could overflow due to the expected three times capacity of water in a nearby reservoir. The community has revived a network of neighbors to assist each other in the event of a crisis. Climate change is expected to lead to drier dry years and wetter wet years, and how quickly the weather heats up will determine how communities fare.
An incoming heat wave in California is expected to trigger rapid snowmelt on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, causing more flooding in portions of the San Joaquin and Owens valleys this week. The warmth will descend upon some of the state’s deepest snowpack ever recorded, with the southern Sierra still measuring 256% of normal for the date. State officials have deployed thousands of emergency personnel across California in response to this year’s flooding, and resources will continue to be made available to respond to local conditions.
A rural community in Central California is preparing for potential floods as a result of melting snow from the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Island District, home to a school, pistachio orchards, and horse ranches, is surrounded by rivers and channels that could overflow due to the massive snowpack. Water managers are concerned that the north fork of the Kings River won’t be able to contain the spring snowmelt, which is expected to be three times the capacity of the Pine Flat Reservoir. The community has revived a network of neighbors to assist each other in the event of a crisis, and officials are monitoring the situation closely.
California officials have increased water allocations to 100% of requested supplies for the first time since 2006, as reservoirs across the state are nearing capacity with an epic snowmelt forecast for the coming weeks. An unusually wet winter brought unprecedented snowfall and heavy rainstorms, pulling much of the state out of a punishing years-long drought. The State Water Project and Central Valley Project are both at near-full capacity, providing key water supplies across California through 29 agencies that together provide water for about 27 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland.
Utah is in a state of emergency as record levels of snow have started to melt, causing flooding and raising fears of natural disasters such as avalanches, landslides, mudslides, and rockslides. The melting could continue for months, and the state has already deployed over 1 million sandbags to prepare for the flooding. Utah will tap into funds from its disaster recovery account and be able to request additional funding from federal and other states' agencies.
The Western US has experienced an unprecedented number of atmospheric rivers this year, with California seeing nine in a three-week period. The resulting snowpack is well above average, with some regions experiencing more than double the number of strong atmospheric rivers typically seen. The melting snow poses a significant flood risk, with Tulare Lake reemerging for the first time in decades. Climate change is likely to exacerbate the intensity of atmospheric rivers, making them more extreme and resulting in more flooding.
California's record level of snowpack, which is 233% of the 1 April average, is expected to melt soon, leading to a heightened risk of flooding in areas already saturated by the state's extremely wet winter. The snowpack contains enough water to fill downstream reservoirs "multiple times over". The climate crisis, which intensifies extremes, is expected to fuel broad swings into the future. The risks California and the wider American west is facing will only get worse as the climate crisis intensifies.
