Yosemite road to close ahead of snowstorms

SAN FRANCISCO -- A popular road at Yosemite National Park will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning Wednesday evening ahead of a series of storms expected to dump at least a foot of snow (30 centimeters) on the highest peaks.

Park spokeswoman Scott Gediman says Glacier Point Road will close at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The 16-mile (26-kilometer) road offers sweeping views of Yosemite Valley and Half Dome.

Gediman says it will remain closed until the storms pass and the road can be evaluated for hazards. The park remains open.

Forecasters say a cold front traveling down to Northern California from Alaska is expected to dump at least a foot of snow (30 centimeters) in higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. The first storm will arrive Wednesday afternoon. A second system is expected Saturday.