Downpours near Yosemite lead to flash-flood warning

A flash-flood warning was issued for parts of Madera and Mariposa counties Monday night as thunderstorms over the Sierra were expected to drop heavy showers.

And a flash-flood watch was posted for parts of the high country in Fresno County, including Shaver Lake, as a result of the tropical moisture streaming across the Sierra.

As of 5 p.m., the National Weather Service office in Hanford said radar and automated rain gauges were indicating an inch of rain had already fallen in north-central Madera County and east-central Mariposa County. Flooding was possible at the south entrance to Yosemite National Park, Wawona, Mariposa Grove, Ostrander Lake and Fish Camp.

One caller to The Bee said it was “raining buckets” at 5 p.m. at Wawona. “Straight rain for 45 minutes,” the caller said.

“The majority of the rain was around 4 p.m.,” said Dan Williams, park service employee at Wawona. “There was a lot of rain and thunder, and a lot of water running off the road into people’s yards. It made it very hard to drive.”

Wawona had totaled 1.15 inches of rain by early evening, the National Weather Service in Hanford said.

Yosemite National Park received 1.25 inches of rain, while North Fork received 1.81 and Bass Lake totaled 1.65, the weather service said.

Half an inch of hail and gusty winds were also reported in Oakhurst.

Farther south, a watch for flash flooding was to remain in place until 11 p.m. due to slow-moving thunderstorms. The watch took in the Sierra from Yosemite to Kings Canyon and mountains in Tulare County, and included the communities of Shaver Lake, Camp Nelson, Giant Forest, Johnsondale and Lodgepole.

The warning was to extend until 8:15 p.m. for Yosemite.

A flash-flood warning for Oakhurst, Bass Lake and North Fork is in effect until 8:45 pm.

This story was originally published July 20, 2015 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Downpours near Yosemite lead to flash-flood warning."