people have been dying to get tioga open. we have been working hard. the avalanche dangers are mitigated. >> reporter: due to the late heavy snowfall this year it's taken yosemite road crews almost 6 weeks to get to the top of tioga road. they believe they will have this famous pass open though this coming saturday. don ford in yosemite national park, cbs 5. >>> yet all that record snowfall in the high country is melting fast from the warm weather this week. yosemite rangers are watching the merced river which is under flood watch. the park is open and only a few campgrounds have been impacted by some minor flooding. the rangers say though for now, the river is running high but still more than a foot below flood stage. >> we have to get up to about 12 feet to start impacting the roads. so we have no problems on the roads. we have no problems with the other campsites. >> while the rangers watch the river levels, the tourists watch the waterfalls. yosemite falls is "the" most spectacular it's looked in years. we have more video on our website, cbssf.com.

people have just been dying to get tioga opened. we've been working hard. avalanche dangers have been mitigated. >> reporter: due to the late and heavy snowfall this year, it's taken yosemite road crews almost six weeks to get to the top of it. ioga road. they believe they will have the famous pass open this coming saturday. don ford in yosemite national park, cbs 5. >> jim, you've been warning about the concerns of all the snow melting and causing some flooding worries. >> snow flood advisories for yosemite, rivers to the south. rivers and foot hills will be running high, fast and cold here for the next month or so, as again, not only clearing the road, but they will see temperatures in the 60s, upper 70s, so a rapid snow melt is headed our way after a record snowfall year. as we take a look across the bay this morning, fog lingering in the south bay here, which will gradually give way to clear skies from most locations. the beach will likely hang on to low cloud cover here through the day. again, we'll see plenty of sun around the region today, especially

tioga pass is near the yosemite eastern border and closes every wint yer usually reopened by midmay.there is no opening date set. it supposed to close in the end of march but the rules have changed . [inaudible] [inaudible] >> the pictures of oracles catamarands have been spectacular. >> and a testimony of what they say. they are dangerously fast and exciting to watch. mayor lee said the city will be ready. that means raising 32 million and getting team to commit to the cost of building not just 45 foot catamarands but the 72 footers yet to come. it is a jump but they set the rule. and the managing director and the participation believes there will be six challengers and the u.s. oracle team. >> how many on the team. it should be ache people. 80 people per team from april or the end of summer and that is not counting the sponsors . he is convinced that spectacors and sponsors will add up to a wind fall for the city. the good kind. it will bring in 1.2 billion. it is for hamburgers and hot dogs. he is convinced it will bring in customers. >> there will be a lot of people out here watc

tioga road in yosemite national park will open to traffic tomorrow. the road is