Yosemite wildfire grows, threatening San Francisco water, power supplies

Photo BY: MAX WHITTAKER | REUTERS

A view of the Rim Fire as it burns just outside Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Saturday. Firefighters on Saturday battled to gain control of a fast-moving wildfire raging on the edge of Yosemite National Park that is threatening power and water supplies to San Francisco about 200 miles to the west.

A colossal wildfire raging on the edge of Yosemite National Park has produced dangerous weather patterns by fueling thunderous pyrocumulus clouds that can alter the wind direction rapidly, potentially trapping firefighters, forest officials said on Sunday.

The Rim Fire grew to 134,000 acres by early Sunday morning, up 9,000 acres from the day before, with smoke columns rising more than 30,000 feet, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Dick Fleishman.

“That’s a real watch-out situation for our firefighters when they see that kind of activity. They know that the wind could actually move that fire right back on them,” Fleishman said. “That’s been happening every afternoon.”

The fire was threatening power and water supplies to San Francisco, about 200 miles to the west, and scorched part of Yosemite, a park known for its waterfalls, giant sequoia groves and other scenic wonders.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Falls at 9:05 AM, a combination of Upper Yosemite Fall, Middle Cascades, and Lower Yosemite Fall, has a total height of 2,425 feet. In May, you may see Pacific dogwood in bloom just below the waterfall.

Yosemite Weather Today Sunny, with a high near 72. Light and variable wind becoming west southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 36. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east northeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Valley and Half Dome at first light,6:32, this morning.

Yosemite Weather Today Sunny, with a high near 66. East northeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon.
Tonight Clear, with a low around 29. South southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming east northeast in the evening.

Yosemite Today

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park at 9:51 am with the sun streaming onto the valley below.

Yosemite Weather Today: Sunny, with a high near 56. East northeast wind around 5 mph becoming west in the morning.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 32. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite's Half Dome at 10:43 this morning.

Yosemite Weather Today: Sunny, with a high near 44. North northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 27. Blustery, with a northeast wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite's Turtleback Dome at 9:30 AM Today

Yosemite Weather Today:  A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 42. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 18. Blustery, with a northeast wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite's El Capitan in the mist at 8:27 this morning.

Yosemite Weather Today: Sunny, with a high near 59. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 39. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Falls spring has arrived. Taken 8:19 AM today.

Yosemite Weather Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 50. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 29. West northwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming east northeast in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Yosemite Today

Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley as spring begins to take hold.

Yosemite Weather Today: Sunny, with a high near 50. Breezy, with a northeast wind 10 to 20 mph.
Tonight Clear, with a low around 32. Windy, with a northeast wind 5 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Valley at dawn this morning.

Yosemite Weather Today: Showers likely, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tonight A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Yosemite Today

El Capitan and the high country of Yosemite at 8:33 this morning.

Yosemite Weather Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Valley in the mists of morning at 6:49 today.

Yosemite Weather Today: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon.
Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Valley at 8:13 this morning.

Yosemite Weather Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west southwest in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Tonight A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

Yosemite Today

Turtleback Dome,Yosemite National Park, at 10:05 this morning and the snow is all gone.

Yosemite Weather Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the evening.

Yosemite Today

Half dome at 12:16 today.  Starting to move toward spring.

Yosemite Weather Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 52. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Tonight Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming east northeast in the evening.

Yosemite Today

This view of Yosemite Valley and Half Dome at 8:14 AM from just east of Yosemite Village gives a sense of conditions of the floor of Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite Weather Today: Rain and snow showers. High near 42. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.
Tonight A chance of rain and snow showers, mainly before 11pm. Snow level 8000 feet. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 30. South wind around 5 mph becoming east southeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Falls, at 8:55 this morning, a combination of Upper Yosemite Fall, Middle Cascades, and Lower Yosemite Fall, has a total height of 2,425 feet.  The snow at the falls is nearly all gone.

Yosemite Weather Today:  Partly sunny, with a high near 49. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming south southwest in the morning.
Tonight Snow. Low around 30. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southeast in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite's Half Dome at 8:43 this morning.  The show is disappearing fast!

Yosemite Weather Today:  Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. East wind around 5 mph becoming west in the morning.
Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

Yosemite Today

El Capitan at 8:11 today. Still a good bit of snow in the high country.

Yosemite Weather Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
Tonight Partly cloudy, with a low around 40. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Yosemite Today

Yosemite Falls this morning at 11:35 with the spring run off.

Yosemite Weather Today: Sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 5 mph.
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Calm wind becoming east southeast around 5 mph after midnight.