Yosemite soaked in recent storms, waterfalls roaring

A series of tropical storms drenched Yosemite late last week and over the weekend, with rain falling for nearly 12 straight hours Thursday night into Friday and a second soaking hitting Sunday.

"The tropical influx came from the west-southwest," said Jim Andersen, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service's Hanford office. "This allowed for a good amount of moisture to come up and the heavier rain. It was a little warmer and more moist, and snow fell only at the highest elevations."

Yosemite Falls roared and thundered on Oct. 28, 2016. Yosemite Falls roared and thundered on Oct. 28, 2016. Photo: Angie Gorr Photo: Angie Gorr Image 1 of / 22 Caption Close Yosemite soaked in recent storms, waterfalls roaring 1 / 22 Back to Gallery

The storms recharged the park's cataracts. The wondrous Yosemite falls, which had been reduced to a trickle in late summer, roared again (see video on top).

With snow falling above 9,000 feet, the park on Saturday closed both Tioga and Glacier Point roads, which typically remain closed through the winter.

The National Weather Service is waiting on data from the national park for the amount of rain that fell in these recent storms.