The Merced River rose above flood stage this morning. Officials say the famed river is likely to burst over its banks and flood into the iconic Yosemite Valley Friday morning but they predict no great risk to the park or its visitors.

To blame for all this excess water is the astounding Sierra snowpack, almost 200 percent of the historic average. Of course that’s what rescued California from a scorching five-year drought, but now it may be trickling down our way in the form of flooding. This week’s Merced flood may be only the beginning.

As temperatures soar in the Sierra Nevada, the snow is melting and turbo-charging the state’s water cycle, filling rivers to the brim and beyond. For the Merced, which snakes through some of the most scenic wonders in the nation, the flood stage is 10 feet.

Officials at the California Nevada River Center expect the Merced, which is now at 10.8 feet, to recede from that height but then to swell to a level of almost 12 feet around 3 a.m. Friday tomorrow. It will then dip back down to 11 feet tomorrow morning. Check out the forecast here.

The bottom line is that there may be some limited flooding that will impact a sewage pump, a swinging bridge over a meadow and some campgrounds but nothing major like damage to buildings or threats to the public.

“It’s not a major flood, more of a nuisance,” said Alan Haynes, a hydrologist at the California Nevada River Center, “because this is just the first volley of snow melt. There will be could be a lot more of them coming that will be bigger.”

Remember that during the 1997 floods, which submerged the valley in swirling waters and racked up $178 million in damage, the Merced River reached crests of 23 feet, 13 feet above flood stage. That was also the last time the park was closed for a significant period due to flooding.

Nothing near that level of swelling is expected now. Still the rising tides do ring a loud and clear warning bell that the flood watch this year must be more vigilant than ever.

Indeed, Haynes takes pains to warn visitors to the park from getting up too close to the river.

“Every year around this time, there are people who lose their lives because they forget about the power of water,” said Haynes. “It can be a shock how fast the water moves and how cold it is because it’s snow melt. Rivers can be dangerous.”