Yosemite Falls: water levels by month
Short answer: Yosemite Falls carries the most water in July (about 28 m³/s on the Yosemite Creek / Merced) and the least in January (about 2 m³/s, 14 times less).
Snowmelt peaks in May and June; Yosemite Falls is often dry by late August. This model reads the Merced River, a proxy for the season.
River flow through the year
| Month | Flow (share of peak) | Average m³/s | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7% | 2 | Low water |
| February | 7% | 2 | Low water |
| March | 7% | 2 | Low water |
| April | 11% | 3 | Low water |
| May | 21% | 6 | Low water |
| June | 82% | 23 | High water |
| July | 100% | 28 | High water |
| August | 46% | 13 | Medium |
| September | 25% | 7 | Low water |
| October | 14% | 4 | Low water |
| November | 11% | 3 | Low water |
| December | 7% | 2 | Low water |
Tours
Questions
When is the best time to see Yosemite Falls?
Yosemite Falls carries the most water in July (about 28 m³/s on the Yosemite Creek / Merced) and the least in January (about 2 m³/s, 14 times less). Snowmelt peaks in May and June; Yosemite Falls is often dry by late August. This model reads the Merced River, a proxy for the season.
When is Yosemite Falls at its lowest?
January has the lowest average flow (7% of the July peak).
Average daily river discharge 2005-2024 from the GloFAS v4 hydrological reanalysis (Copernicus Emergency Management Service) via Open-Meteo, for the model river cell nearest the falls. Dams and diversions upstream can change real flow on the day.