Frazil Ice and Snow Cone Formations in Yosemite - My Yosemite Park

Frazil Ice and Snow Cone Formations in Yosemite

Stand on the Yosemite Creek bridge below Yosemite Falls in March and April and you may see frazil ice in the creek and a snow cone under the upper falls.

Author:: Staff
Publish date:: Mar 4, 2015

Frazil Ice on Yosemite Creek

Frazil ice in Yosemite Creek

It's like a big slushy machine. Stand on the Yosemite Creek bridge below Yosemite Falls in March and April. If the timing is just right, you may see something that is not ice, not snow, but something in between, flowing down the creek. It's frazil ice, small crystals of frozen mist that form on the falls and wash down the stream making a slurry.

As the slush builds up in areas, it stops and blocks the stream, causing the stream to detour to the nearest, lowest ground. The blockages often look like common snow but don't step on it or you'll go right down into the icy water.

Yosemite Falls Snow Cone

Snow cone that forms underneath Yosemite Upper Falls

Every winter at the base of upper Yosemite Falls, a mound of snow and ice forms reaching hundreds of feet tall. It resembles an upside-down snow cone.

Yosemite Falls.

Waterfalls, Lakes and Rivers in Yosemite

In no other place in the Sierra Nevada mountains can you see so many impressive waterfalls gathered together in one spot.

Tioga Road going over Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park

Mountains & Landscapes

Although just about every bend in Tioga Road reveals another awesome view, here are three stops you won't want to miss on the eastern section at Tioga Pass.

Horsetail Fall in February when the sun hits the water

Waterfalls, Lakes and Rivers in Yosemite

The tradition of Yosemite's firefall started in the late 19th century. Today park visitors see a natural firefall every mid to late-February.

Mono Lake South Tufa Area. Photo by Gloria Wadzinski

Waterfalls, Lakes and Rivers in Yosemite

Immediately outside Yosemite's east entrance is one of the oldest lakes in North America. See giant tufa formations on an interpretive trail.

Merced River with El Capitan in the Background

Waterfalls, Lakes and Rivers in Yosemite

In late spring and early summer, when melting snow from Sierra Nevada peaks thunders down into the valleys below, it's easy to imagine how millennia of erosion has shaped the landscape of the park today.

Confluence of middle and south forks of the Kings River in Kings Canyon National Park. Photo by Daniel Mayer [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Waterfalls, Lakes and Rivers in Yosemite

Drive into the depths of the Kings River canyon or take a swim in the gently flowing Kaweah River. Rivers of the southern Sierra Nevada have a lot to offer.

Waterwheel Falls in Yosemite. Photo by Grant Ordelheide

Waterfalls, Lakes and Rivers in Yosemite

If you're looking for solitude, there are many more hidden waterfalls throughout the park, which are nearly as beautiful as their valley sisters.

Vernal Fall Overlook by Grant Ordelheide

A hero was made when Alec Smith leapt over the protective barrier at the top of Vernal Falls to save the life of a young boy. Most rescues don't turn out successful.