Recent storms give Yosemite a boost with several inches of fresh snow

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (KFSN) -- Yosemite National Park is getting a boost from the recent storms. The waterfalls are flowing, and the ski area has several inches of fresh snow.

From skilled snowboarders to the smallest skiers everyone seems to be loving the snow in Yosemite. "I think it's great. Nice powder, nice for jumps, not too painful when you fall," said Lucas Pieper, El Portal student.

Students from El Portal School got to take a break from the classroom to enjoy the conditions-- after a series of storms brought 12 inches of fresh powder to the area since Friday. "We've been warm, and then this latest round of storms has been a lot of rain in Yosemite Valley. The snow level has been higher up, but here we are in the higher elevations, and it's been wonderful," said Scott Gediman, Yosemite spokesperson

Those storms rolled in right after Yosemite went through a major transition-- switching to a new concessionaire and changing the names of five iconic places because of a trademark dispute. That includes historic Badger Pass-- which is now known as Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area. "It's a tough change for the locals, but we'll get used to it," said Pieper.

And park officials said the facility itself is still the same, offering 10 different runs in a family friendly environment.

If you don't feel like skiing or snowboarding, the conditions are also nice right now for snow shoeing. "The National Park Service leads daily snow shoe walks. You can cross country ski-- there's so much to do, and we really encourage people to come out, have a day in the snow or even make a weekend out of it," said Lisa Cesaro, Yosemite Hospitality spokesperson.

The ski area is hoping to finish the season strong with more snow after dealing with four years of drought.

It's scheduled to stay open through April 3rd.