The white trees and powder filled fields of Yosemite look like a scene straight from a Christmas card.
Yvonne Reid said, "I just love it. It's gorgeous! It's been a long time since I've seen the snow like this."
Reid and her friends traveled to the park to go cross country skiing at Badger Pass, only to learn the resort was closed.
Marietta Larson said, "We came up to get on the bus to go to Badger, and they said it's so bad and blowy up there they're not sending the bus up today."
Park Ranger Scott Gediman says the storm moved in quickly after about seven weeks with hardly any snow at all -- and sunny, spring like weather just one day earlier.
Gediman said, "It started raining overnight and started snowing here in Yosemite Valley around 8:00 a.m. and hasn't stopped."
The conditions continued to change throughout the afternoon. Plows stayed busy clearing the walkways and roads.
People without four wheel drive had to put chains on their tires inside the park.
John Renning said, "This is something I don't do very often, so I have to make sure I do it right."
Rangers say because of the snow, even drivers from the Fresno area may want to use this entrance to the park on Highway 140.
Gediman said, "When you're coming in the arch rock entrance station you're coming in at 2000 feet and get up to 4000 whereas if you come up Highway 41 you're coming up through higher elevation."
And once inside the gates, there's still plenty to enjoy, from sledding and ice skating to incredible photo ops.
Larson said, "We're just gonna go toodle around and enjoy all this wonderful nature."
