Trips cut short after Yosemite National Park announces park closure due to blizzard warning

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- On Thursday, Yosemite National Park announced it would be closing due to the intense weather. The park and its hotels will be closed through Sunday afternoon for now.

"We feel that the prudent move and the safest thing to do is to institute this closure," said Scott Gediman with Yosemite National Park. "This is not something we take lightly. This is not something we do very often."

Action News checked in a hotel in Oakhurst. The hotel says it already saw some cancellations because of the closure.

"It's nature, you can't help it," said Jacek Jansen, who traveled all the way from the Netherlands. "We'll make the best of it."

Jansen was only at the park for a few hours before he had to leave. He wanted to visit the park over the next few days.

"We wanted to go to Glacier Point or something like that," said Jansen. "We wanted to just see some nature."

Jansen plans to stay at his hotel in Oakhurst, before traveling to Monterey. With severe weather expected, the CHP is also urging drivers to have a plan in place.

"Be ready," said Officer Javier Ruvalcaba with CHP Madera. "Have your vehicle ready to hit the road. Make sure your tires are in good shape. Make sure the windshield wipers are working."

Drivers should also check the Caltrans Quick Nap app for chain controls or road closures. To prepare for this storm, CHP said more officers will be out to help respond to emergencies.

"Let the people who need to be out there, be the ones out there," said Ruvalcaba. "This way it allows us to respond to those people sooner."

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