ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah — Roads and popular trails were closed throughout Zion National Park on Monday as flooding caused by heavy downpours created hazardous conditions.
With all of Zion and nearby Springdale under a Flash Flood Warning for most of the day, all slot canyons in the park, including The Narrows, were shut off to visitors due to rising water.
Photos and video shared with FOX 13 News from inside the park showed downpours flowing from canyon walls onto the roads below, forming pools of water. Many roads were also left covered with mud, making them impassable to traffic.
On Monday, the National Weather Service shared how Virgin River, which flows through Zion, went from a normal flow of around 25 cubic feet per second (CFS) to a peak of 5920 CFS, the fifth-highest peak at that gage on record.
Video below shows Virgin River peak flow during flooding:
A River Flood Advisory has been issued for the Virgin River through midnight, with a forecast showing it will rise from 9.3 feet to 17.9 feet within hours. However, the forecast currently shows the river above action stage but below flood stage, according to the NWS.
