Photo: Randystraka.com//Youtube.com
Mother Nature sure is amazing, ain’t she? The answer’s yes, in case you had to actually think about that for a second.
We present Exhibit A, for evidence: Yosemite’s “Firefall Week,” which isn’t a spinoff of Shark Week but instead is one of nature’s most mesmerizing shows. People are flocking to Yosemite right now to snap photos and bask in the literal glow of Horsetail Fall before it’s all over. Generally expected around the second week of February, the sun will set on Horsetail Fall in a way that, when seen from just the right angle, makes the waterfall look as if it’s filled with lava. Under the right conditions — like the ones we’ve been gifted this week — the entire place beams red and orange.
So what exactly are those perfect conditions? It’s not exactly a long list but of course, there are a number of variables that could easily throw any one of these factors off and put a kibosh on the entire thing from the get-go.
Horsetail Fall Must Be Flowing
February’s snowpack has to be great enough to fill the waterfall itself, which sends the melted snow 1,570 feet down the east face of El Capitan. Technically, the sun hits Horsetail Fall at the same angle come October but because all the snow has melted long before then, there’s no runoff left for the sun to light up.
Daytime Temps Have to Be Warm Enough to Melt the Snow
This one’s an obvious next step. If the daytime temps stay too cold then the snow itself won’t melt. Frozen snow means no flowing falls and no show come sunset.
There Can’t Be Any Cloud Cover
Another obvious factor. The sky must be clear enough to see the setting sun as it goes down in the west. If it’s overcast or mostly cloudy, there won’t be enough sunlight to shine on the fall itself.
Now, enjoy: