Yosemite falls flowing after long stretch

YOSEMITE -- After an unusually long stretch with no water, Yosemite National Park's beloved waterfalls are flowing again.

Blame the record dry summer and a fairly dry winter last year for Yosemite Falls drying up in July, several months earlier than usual.

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls as well as Bridalveil and other waterfalls are flowing again thanks to storms that dumped almost two inches of rain over the weekend, park officials said.

"After such a dry period, seeing the waterfalls flowing again is spectacular," Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher said.

The park had recorded one of its driest years on record, and the driest winter since 2007.

Park staff said the recent storms also brought the first significant snowfall of the season at altitudes higher than 8,000 feet. Park scientists said the storm helped saturate extremely dry soils.

The flow of the Merced River, measured at the Happy Isles Gauging Station, had dipped to less than four cubic feet per second in October. Such a low level is rare.

The recent storms dumped enough snow to make backcountry travel difficult. Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road within the park are closed.