Yosemite in winter is a completely different experience. There’s profound silence; the crowds are gone, there is an ephemeral quietness that is calming, reassuring and comforting. Rather than observing, you are part of it. Enveloped by it. It permeates your skin, melts into your soul and changes your attitude.
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 |
Conditions
Yosemite in winter is a completely different place. Crowds are gone; although holiday weekends are more crowded than other times, they still do not rise to the level of the summer hordes.
Tourist buses are much less prevalent, the shuttle buses are running much less frequently and parking is not a problem at all.
Lodging is much easier to obtain and is cheaper in the off-season, especially in mid-week.
Although snow is never guaranteed, in winter, inclement weather is much more prevalent than in summer. Yosemite may get two or three severe snowstorms per winter season, or the same number of rain storm events making it a perfect time to get that once-in-a-lifetime shot with mist, clouds, possible snow-cover, and reflection shots on the slow-moving Merced River.