Heavy Snow — Yosemite Np Outside of the Valley, California

2026-01-03 to 2026-01-05 · Yosemite Np Outside of the Valley, California

Event narrative

The Tuolumne Meadows SNOTEL (8600 feet) picked up an estimated 28 inches of new snowfall.

Wider weather episode

On the 3rd-5th, rain and mountain snow fell due to atmospheric rivers passing over the region. On the 3rd, precipitation reached near one inch in the San Joaquin Valley, mainly southern portions. Other valley locations received around 0.25 inch to just over 0.50 inch. Lesser amounts occurred in the Central Valley during the 4th-5th. Several inches up to around one foot of snow fell to around 6,000 feet during this period, with heavier mounts above 8,000 feet, or around 1-2 feet. Mainly clear skies and cool temperatures prevailed afterward, including on the 6th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1310759. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.