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Streamflow Data
Merced River
The Pohono and Happy Isles gages are located on the main stem of the river in Yosemite Valley. The Wawona gage is on the South Fork of the Merced, near the southern boundary of Yosemite National Park. The Briceburg gage is on Bureau of Land Management land, downstream of the park and downstream of the confluence with the South Fork Merced River.
Tuolumne River
The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne gage is located just upstream of Hetch Hetchy Reservior, while a second gage is located just downstream of O'Shaughnessy Dam. Data are also available at Falls Creek, a tributary that flows into Hetch Hetchy from the north, and at Tuolumne Meadows, in the Yosemite high country.
Weather Data
Access weather data from stations in Yosemite National Park:
Snow Data
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Compare this season's Sierra Nevada snow water content [PDF] with the wettest year on record, the driest year on record, the mean value, and last year's value.
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See snow survey data from the most recent surveys in California. Snow surveys are performed four times per year at 17 courses in Yosemite and many more throughout the West, with records dating back to 1927. Maximum snow depth at one of Yosemite's snow courses was 232.9 inches in 1969; maximum snow water content was 96 inches in 1983. Read the survey's 1953 history in a Yosemite Nature Notes article [600 kb PDF].
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California Cooperative Snow Survey's real-time data combines data from multiple agencies to monitor seasonal snowpack, forecast snowmelt runoff, and provide a central source of information about snow and water conditions in California. You can also view real-time snow data in the Yosemite area.
Yosemite Observer Dashboard: Physical Sciences
Visual, interactive information about current weather, stream flow, fires, and air quality conditions; all on one site!
Yosemite Hydrology Videos
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Yosemite National Park is famous for its spectacular glacially carved landscape. Although glaciers have come and gone many times in the past, there are still two active glaciers near Yosemite's highest peaks.
- Duration:
- 8 minutes, 34 seconds
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Summertime visitors to Yosemite National Park miss many of the unique events of winter and early spring. Frazil ice flows are dramatic natural events that occur in the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley during March and April.
- Duration:
- 7 minutes, 39 seconds
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Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America, and is a powerful presence in Yosemite Valley. From winter ice to spring flood to autumn dryness, this magnificent waterfall is a dynamic force of nature.
- Duration:
- 9 minutes, 32 seconds
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Horsetail Fall is a small, ephemeral waterfall that flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. For two weeks in February, the setting sun striking the waterfall creates a deep orange glow.
- Duration:
- 8 minutes, 12 seconds
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Snow plays an important role in Yosemite's ecology while providing water for cities and farms. Winter visitors to the park experience a landscape transformed by snow.
- Duration:
- 8 minutes, 34 seconds
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Throughout the winter, the elevation where rain turns to snow changes with each new storm. Join a meteorologist and park scientists as we chase the snow line in Yosemite.
- Duration:
- 8 minutes, 44 seconds
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Explore the Tuolumne River from its glacial headwaters at 13,000 feet down through Tuolumne Meadows and into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Scientists and rangers describe the power this river has on the landscape and on the people who visit it.
- Duration:
- 8 minutes, 18 seconds
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In April of 2018, spring flooding occurred in Yosemite Valley. Footage from different areas within the valley are shown in this video. During this event, Yosemite experienced significant impacts from a strong storm that came in from the Pacific. Impacts included 2 to 4 feet of water on roads within Yosemite Valley, impacts to the electrical system, and impacts to water systems.
- Duration:
- 6 minutes, 8 seconds
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The Merced River in Yosemite Valley reached flood stage at Pohono Bridge (above 10 feet) in January 2017 when a winter storm brought significant rainfall to the area. The river peaked at 12.7 feet and although there was no major flooding in Yosemite Valley, both roads and infrastructure (water systems, sewer systems, etc.) were impacted.
- Duration:
- 2 minutes, 58 seconds
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Floods in Yosemite Valley aren't uncommon during spring, when the Merced River swells with melted snow. The largest, least common floods occur during winter. See what the Valley looked like during the large floods in May 1996 and the famously historic 100-year flood in January 1997.
- Duration:
- 5 minutes, 53 seconds
Resources and Further Reading
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