Yosemite in Spring
Yosemite in spring is a festival of green and moving water! The spring runoff transforms Yosemite into a galaxy of waterfalls, inundated meadows and torrential river flows. This creates innumerable opportunities for photography. Motion blur of moving rivers and waterfalls. Emergence of wildlife, the opening of high-country roads and trails.
Details
Days are longer and temperatures are warming; average 69°F (21°C) / 39°F (4°C)
Most of Yosemite above the 6,000 ft elevation is still blanketed in snow and may not completely clear until mid-July!
During spring, Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road open to visitors
The rivers are torrents, offering plenty of opportunities for motion-blur photography.
Wildlife activity is increasing; bear sightings peak in May and early June.
Although high country trails are still under snow, many trails up to the 6,000 foot elevation open for day hikes and limited overnight camping.
Statistics
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high in ºF | 48 | 51 | 58 | 64 | 71 | 81 |
| Average low in ºF | 29 | 30 | 34 | 38 | 45 | 51 |
| Av. precipitation in inch | 6.54 | 6.66 | 5.15 | 2.79 | 1.66 | 0.65 |
| Av. snowfall in inch | 17 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high in ºF | 89 | 89 | 82 | 71 | 56 | 47 |
| Average low in ºF | 57 | 56 | 51 | 42 | 33 | 28 |
| Av. precipitation in inch | 0.38 | 0.11 | 0.65 | 2.11 | 4.58 | 5.45 |
| Av. snowfall in inch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 |