In the midst of a cold winter in the East Coast, it was a perfect time to take a break from work and at the same time going on a vacation somewhere warm. Without a doubt, visiting Yosemite National Park was a great choice.
For Californians, they find snow fun to see but not for someone like me who ran away from the snow to enjoy West Coast warmth.
I honestly never thought it snows in California!
A friend in Fresno, CA suggested going for a drive to Yosemite National Park which is about an hour and a half drive from there. The drive was initially fun till we got closer to the mountains. As we drove further towards the park, temperature started dropping in the car. The temperature in Fresno city that same day was 59 degrees while the temperature dropped down to 28 degrees few miles before reaching the park gate. I must also note, we started seeing signs indicating having chains on car wheels may be required to enter the park. At the same time, we started seeing more snow on the road as the drive continued.
Does it snow on Yosemite?
Yes! Seeing snow in California was unexpected. However, due to higher elevation of the mountains, it wasn’t surprising to see few flurries here and there. Unfortunately, it appeared as if it snowed there the night before but roads were clear and well maintained for the most part. My suggestion was, let’s turn around and leave because I didn’t go to California to see the snow. However, my friend insisted we drive further into the park in which, after all, wasn’t a bad idea. Finally, we pulled over on a sightseeing area past the tunnel. As you can see from the photo, the view was fascinating. We stepped out of the vehicle for few minutes to take pictures and it was chilly.
Yosemite National Park is located in central California with unique Sierra Nevada gateway towns surrounding it. The park has five main entrances.
There is no doubt the park is amazing, great for hiking, camping and more but certainly not my ideal place to visit in winter. If you happen to be in central California, Yosemite National Park is worth visiting.
To see videos and photos of Yosemite, click here
