Plenty of Water for Yosemite Falls

It’s too early to make a final call, but Yosemite National Park is expecting plenty of water for its famous falls following 18.8 inches of El Nin~o-driven snow and other precipitation in February--three times the average for the month and the most since 1986, according to park spokesman Kendell Thompson.

“We’re getting a lot of snowmelt already, and the falls have really kicked in--they’re thundering,” he said. Typically, the volume peaks in May, but the flow will be affected by precipitation between now and then, he added. Unlike the severe storms of January 1997, the storms so far have not damaged park facilities or access roads, officials said.