Killer Sunset at The Sisters near Carson Pass
Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Crown Jewel of the Pacific Crest Trail
Need a Map? Lost Al near Lost Keys Lake
Emigrant Wilderness under Tropical Thunderstorm, September.
Round Top Lake
Whitebarks and Grizzly Peak in Emigrant Wilderness under Tropical Clouds during September 2013
Lost Keys Lake
 

Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney
Trail Guide, Magazine, & High Sierra Backpacker's Trails and Topics Forums

2018
HIGH SIERRA BACKPACKER'S

Calendar

 

JUNE

 

 

Important Seasonal Happenings, Transitions, Events & Dates
for
High Sierra Backpackers

 

 

Road Conditions, Resupply, Seasonal Transition Concerns, Permit Dates, Weather, Water, and Mosquitoes

 

 

Last Year
2017

THIS YEAR
News, Views, & Issues
JUNE
2017
High Sierra
News
JUNE
2017
Backpacker
Alerts
2018
Natural Meltdown
High Sierra
Backpacking
TOPICS
High Sierra
Backpacking
TRAILS
High Sierra
Backpacking
FITNESS
High Sierra
Backpacking
SKILLS

High Sierra
RESUPPLY
High Sierra
PERMITS
High Sierra
WEATHER
High Sierra
Trail
GUIDE
INDEX
High Sierra
Trail
MAPS
INDEX
High Sierra
Trail
MILES
INDEX
Download
FONT

 


2018
High Sierra
Backpacking Calendar

January         February         March         April         May         June

July         August         September         October         November         December

 

INDEX

 

June
2018

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

TRAILHEAD

Last Year

June 2018
Magical pond on the South end of Seavy Pass
Summit City Canyon from Mount Reba.
Seavy Pass is the high point in a wide bowl filled with beautiful ponds atop the ridge separating Bensen Lake from Kerrick Canyon along the combined TYT-PCT routes through the North Yosemite Backcountry. Above we are passing around the Southernmost pond before beginning the great descent to Bensen Lake.

Trail Guide           Map           Miles and Elevations

JUNE
2018

January         February         March         April         May         June

July         August         September       October      November      December

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

 

 

 

Transitional Month

CLEARING QUICKLY DURING 2018

Not so much during 2017

The Sierra Crest still has between four feet on it in the North Sierra to 10 in the South.

 

 

 

More
High Sierra
Backpacker Information

High Sierra
News of Nature & Science for Backpackers

 

 

 

LET'S GO BACKPACKING

Guide Trailhead

Guide Index

High Sierra Magazine

Blog-Forums

 

 


MORE

Navigation Information
Time & Space

 

 

High Sierra Backpacker
Trail Skills

29

 

CLEAR & HOT

T-Storm Probs

 

 

 

2018
Snowpack
Percent of Average for
May 29

+/- change since
May 24

N Sierra: 11%
(-1%)

Cen. Sierra: 11%
(-4%)

S Sierra: 5%
(-3%)

Ca State: 9%
(-3%)

Last
May 24

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

2018
Snowpack, May 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST MONTH

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018
Snowpack, May 28

 

 

2017
Snowpack

 

 

 

2017
Clear, Mild-Cooler, very weak Low passing across mid-Ca. & Sierra via Tahoe:
THUNDERSTORMS
POSSIBLE
Big Low setting up in Gulf Alaska.

Yet we've had a strong High bouncing around off the West Coast of Ca for a while now, deflecting all tropical moisture around us, mostly to the South...

30

 

HIGH WINDS

 

 

REALTIME
High Sierra Crestline
Reporting Stations

Rubicon
7618 feet

Echo Peak
7652 feet

Carson Pass
8388 feet

Ebbetts Pass
8660 feet

Leavitt Lake
9602 feet

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank

Deadman Creek
9250 feet

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet

Gem Pass
10750 feet

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet


South Lake Cabin
9580 feet

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet

Bishop Pass
11972 feet

Charlotte Lake
10398 feet

Upr Tyndall Creek
11441 feet

 

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST MONTH

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear, Crisp, and Cool between fronts

Winter Storm Warnings

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts


31

 

WINDS DIMINISHING
Sweet Day

 

 

Winter Storm Warnings

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

LAST MONTH

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST MONTH

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review
May of 2017: Endless Snow
against:

 

 

May of 2016
Snow cover was gone by the end of May last Year ('16).

 

2015 & 2017
TWISTED SEASONS
Hottest & Driest,
then the Wettest
Years Ever over Three Years

 

compare years

1

 

CLEAR & HOT

 

 

SPRING THAW

RIVER INFORMATION


RESERVOIRS

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

 

 

Selected
Weather Resources

 

Surface Low Pressure Tracks

 

Radar

 

Visible Satellites

 

Water Vapor Satellites

 

MAPS

 

Sierra Forecasts

 

Western US Forecasts

 

Precip Animation & Charts

 

Graphical Precip Forecast

 

All Sierra Snow Info

 

Sierra Sensor Networks

 

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

High Sierra Highways

 

All Weather Information

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VVR
Opens

Depending on Weather
CLOSED 2017

Current VVR Information
Resupply Boxes accepted and available for pickup
June 1st 2017

Ferry begins operation
June 15th 2017

Anticipated Opening
June 9th 2017

Anticipated Closing
October 9th, 2017

 

2

 

CLEAR & HOTTER

 

MODIS
SIERRA
SATELLITE

All Sat Views

 

ALL
High Sierra Snowpack Status
INFO

 

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

 

All Snow and Rain Precipitation Forecasts,
&
Sierra Snow Depth, and/or
Inches of Water


 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--SPRING--
Temp-Snow Check

Long a fter the 29th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last substantial fronts came across on the 12th of April!

Let's check our reporting station snow & temps.

Below: Watershed Snow Water Content Charts followed by individual reporting station's Snow Depth and 24 hour high-low temps.

Last Report:
May 28, 2018

N Sierra Reporting Stations On a Map
Scroll over stations for snow & temps. Click for
full report.
South Sierra Stations

"+/- & =" below are changes since last reading.

Tahoe Basin
Watershed

Rubicon 0" =
7618 feet
(37.00 H2O) =0.0
65 & 45 +/+

Echo Peak 0" =
7652 feet
(51.9 ?H2O) +0.9
67 & 45 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 0" -1
8388 feet
(31.5" H2O) -0.1
67 & 42 +/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 0" =0
8660 feet
(46.2" H2O) -.1
65 & 41 +/+

Leavitt Lke 50" -13 (errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(45.5 H20) =0.0
64 & 42 +/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
73 & 27 +/-

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(33.72" ?H20) +0.48
(BAD?)
67 & 37 +/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake .11" -.04
8163 feet, West Flank
(22.24) ?H20 +0.24
69 & 37 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
1.0" +0.82
8600 feet, West Flank
72 & 35 +/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
??.??" Snow -??.?
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(NOT REPORTING)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono -Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(xx.xx" H2O) -0.00 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
0.11" Snow −10.22
(45.12" H2O) +1.12
70 & 40 +/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(19.1 H2O??) +.2
69 & 38 +/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
5" Snow +2.6
63 & 31 +/+

Kings River

Bishop Pass
11972 feet
BAD-
BAD

Charlotte Lake
10398 feet, West Flank
TEMPS ONLY

-- & -- BAD
(The coldest station)

Kern Watershed

Upr Tyndall Creek
11441 feet
7.48" Snow -1.47
60 & 39 +/+

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

*We've had more than twenty-nine fronts come across the Sierra, and periods of spitting snow, but only twenty-nine fronts of any substance.

 

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

All Sierra Forecast Zones

 

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

 

 

 

 

 

LAST MONTH

NEXT WEEK

 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

3

CLEAR & COOLING
WARM

 

SPRING THAW

RIVER INFORMATION


RESERVOIRS

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

 

Selected
Weather Resources

 

Surface Low Pressure Tracks

 

Radar

 

Visible Satellites

 

Water Vapor Satellites

 

MAPS

 

Sierra Forecasts

 

Western US Forecasts

 

Precip Animation & Charts

 

Graphical Precip Forecast

 

All Sierra Snow Info

 

Sierra Sensor Networks

 

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

High Sierra Highways

 

All Weather Information

4

CLEAR & WARM

 

 

All Forecasts

 

 

 

View of Sierra on June 4 by the...

MODIS
SIERRA SATELLITE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KENNEDY
MEADOWS

2017
ADULT HORSEPACKER
CAMP-SCHOOL

(NOT THIS YEAR:LATER?)

 

2017
Clearing after typical "Marine Layer" of Stratus sitting off most of the length of the West Coast of the USA pushes back from the coastline.

This "Marine Layer" is keeping temps down.

 

 

2016
Early Season Heat wave STRONG
VALLEY TEMPS TO 100s

2016
Carson Pass
8353 ft
Clear of Snow today
49 & 30°, 0"

Ebbetts Pass
51 & 31°, 7"

Sonora Pass E Flank
67 & 41°, 0"

Deadman Creek
Upper meadow West flank just below Sonora Pass
72 & 34°, 16"

Tioga Pass DM
xx & xx°, 17"?

 

5

CLEAR & WARM
Breezy

 

Last Snow Depth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016
HEATWAVE, moderating.

REPORT
Heavy West Coast Trough pulling significant tropical moisture North.

6

CLEAR & WARM
Breezy

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

 

2017
Impending Weather?

North Sierra Precip This Week?
Wednesday to Weekend?

All High Sierra Zone Forecasts

All High Sierra Precip Forecasts

 

7

CLEAR & WARM
Breezy

High Sierra Travel Status

PCT & JMT
Hikers

Spring Travel Warnings
Still in Effect

Summer Conditions approach, yet conditions on the ground are still in Spring Snow Mode.

TRAVEL
Snow/Hard Snow:
Slip & Slide Traction Dangers
&
Difficulty of Post-Holing when warmed up & soft

Shaded areas and NE aspects have extensive snofields which are slick and hard early, then wet & deep later in the day.

Expect
"Candystriping"

RIVERS
High Fording Dangers

ATMOSPHERIC
T-Storm & Lightening

GEAR
In addition, it can still get cold and wet instantly, as is always the case in the Sierra, even during Summertime.
During Spring-Time conditions can shift to very cold and very wet very quickly.
The next danger is getting soaking wet while hiking through the snow. Shoes, pants, socks, and everything else that touches the snow.

Thus, Extra and Proper Clothing Layers that can allow us to recover our warmth, and keep us comfortable in wet conditions, are still required.
Extra layers still required.

Thus the "Spring" Gear should still be in the pack, though our "Spring" gear can be little more than our Summer gear, with the required extra layers for our proper level of safety for travel through the slick and the sloppy phases of a diminishing Spring snow pack.

Our gear should still be tailored to keep us warm while wet in snow.

FUTURE
The next heat wave should leave little more than snow remnants along the Sierra Crest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
3 pm precip hits North Ca Coast, Northernmost Sierra.

8

 

 

 

Sierra Forecasts

 

Graphical Precip Forecast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
3 pm precip hits North Ca Coast, Northernmost Sierra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015
T-storms and Rain from
TS BLANCA (2015)
Raining on the Sierra Crest

1.1 inches of precip predicted over Sierra next 7 days.

9

CLEAR & WARM
Breezy

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

Wind Warnings

 

The Sierra
on
June 9
by...

MODIS
SIERRA SATELLITE

All Sat Views

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--SPRING--
Temp-Snow Check

Long a fter the 29th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last substantial fronts came across on the 12th of April!

Let's check our reporting station snow & temps.

Below: Watershed Snow Water Content Charts followed by individual reporting station's Snow Depth and 24 hour high-low temps.

Last Report:
June 2, 2018

N Sierra Reporting Stations On a Map
Scroll over stations for snow & temps. Click for
full report.
South Sierra Stations

"+/- & =" below are changes since last reading.

Tahoe Basin
Watershed

Rubicon 0" =
7618 feet
(37.10 H2O) +0.1
65 & 46 +/+

Echo Peak 0" =
7652 feet
(51.6 ?H2O) +0.3
61 & 44 -/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 0" =0
8388 feet
(31.6" H2O) +0.1
68 & 45 +/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 0" =0
8660 feet
(46.3" H2O) +.1
60 & 42 -/+

Leavitt Lke 29" -21 (errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(45.6 H20) +0.1
56 & 41 -/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
78 & 31 +/+

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(33.72" ?H20) +0.48
(BAD?)
61 & 40 -/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake .57" +.46
8163 feet, West Flank
(22.24) ?H20 +0.24
69 & 37 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
0.0" -1.00
8600 feet, West Flank
68 & 350 -/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
??.??" Snow -??.?
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(NOT REPORTING)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono -Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(xx.xx" H2O) -0.00 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
1.02" Snow +0.91
(45.16" H2O) +0.04
65 & 36 -/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(19.1 H2O??) =.0
68 & 46 -/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
2.2" Snow -2.8
61 & 43 -/+

Kings River

Bishop Pass
11972 feet
BAD-
BAD

Charlotte Lake
10398 feet, West Flank
TEMPS ONLY

-- & -- BAD
(The coldest station)

Kern Watershed

Upr Tyndall Creek
11441 feet
7.28" Snow -0.2
62 & 42 +/+

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

*We've had more than twenty-nine fronts come across the Sierra, and periods of spitting snow, but only twenty-nine fronts of any substance.

 

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

All Sierra Forecast Zones

 

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

 

 

2017
1 am precip hits central Sierra.

A very small amount of snow accumulation took place, followed by accelerated melting as majority of precip fell-falling as light rain.

"Sloppy" conditions next three-four days.

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

10

CLEAR & WARMER
Breezy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear. We can see a tall mass of tropical moisture flowing West under Aleutian Chain.

This moisture's rapidly moving high altitude aspects are being directed towards us by the Low to it's North and the High to it's South.

Snow above 6500 feet across Norht Sierra Tomorrow.

Satellite View

 

KENNEDY
MEADOWS
PACK STATION

2017
ADULT HORSEPACKER
CAMP-SCHOOL

ENDS
(Doubt it even started? Check with KM for details.)

 

11

CLEAR
&
WARM to HOT

Breezy

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

12

CLEAR
&
WARM to HOT

Breezy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

13

CLEAR
&
WARM
Breezy

 

SPRING HAZARDS
in Effect

 

 

 

 

Spring Snow

All Sierra Snow Info

 

Sierra Sensor Networks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Sonora Pass Opens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

14

CLEAR
&
WARM
Breezy

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--SPRING--
Temp-Snow Check

Long after the 29th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last substantial fronts came across on the 12th of April!

Let's check our reporting station snow & temps.

Below: Watershed Snow Water Content Charts followed by individual reporting station's Snow Depth and 24 hour high-low temps.

Last Report:
June 9, 2018

N Sierra Reporting Stations On a Map
Scroll over stations for snow & temps. Click for
full report.
South Sierra Stations

"+/- & =" below are changes since last reading.

Tahoe Basin
Watershed

Rubicon 0" =
7618 feet
(37.10 H2O) +0.1
71 & 55 +/+

Echo Peak 0" =
7652 feet
(51.6 ?H2O) -0.7
69 & 56 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 0" =0
8388 feet
(31.64" H2O) -0.2
69 & 50 +/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 0" =0
8660 feet
(46.32" H2O) -.1
66 & 50 +/+

Leavitt Lke 13" -16 (errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(45.6 H20) =0.0
63 & 451 +/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
83 & 41 +/+

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(33.72" ?H20) +0.48
(BAD?)
69 & 43 +/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake .09" -.48
8163 feet, West Flank
(22.24) ?H20 +0.24
70 & 378 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
1.51" +1.51
8600 feet, West Flank
72 & 35 +/=

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
??.??" Snow -??.?
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(NOT REPORTING)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono -Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(xx.xx" H2O) -0.00 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
0.61" Snow -0.41
(45.16" H2O) =0.00
72 & 43 +/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(19.1 H2O??) =.0
72 & 49 +/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
0.1" Snow -2.1
65 & 436 +/+

Kings River

Bishop Pass
11972 feet
BAD-
BAD

Charlotte Lake
10398 feet, West Flank
TEMPS ONLY

-- & -- BAD
(The coldest station)

Kern Watershed

Upr Tyndall Creek
11441 feet
7.22" Snow -0.06
67 & 45 +/+

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

*We've had more than twenty-nine fronts come across the Sierra, and periods of spitting snow, but only twenty-nine fronts of any substance.

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

15

The Sierra
on
June 14
by...

MODIS
SIERRA SATELLITE

All Sat Views

 

All Sierra Snow Info

 

SPRING THAW

RIVER INFORMATION


RESERVOIRS

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

 

Selected
Weather Resources

 

Surface Low Pressure Tracks

 

Radar

 

Visible Satellites

 

Water Vapor Satellites

 

MAPS

 

Sierra Forecasts

 

Western US Forecasts

 

Precip Animation & Charts

 

Graphical Precip Forecast

 

All Sierra Snow Info

 

Sierra Sensor Networks

 

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

High Sierra Highways

 

All Weather Information

 

16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

 

2017
HEATWAVE WEATHER HAZARD WARNING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

17

FATHER'S DAY

Cooling, Windy

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
HEATWAVE WEATHER HAZARD WARNING

 

KENNEDY
MEADOWS
PACK STATION

2017
KIDS HORSEPACKER
CAMP

II
BEGINS

 

 

 

2015
Tuolumne Meadows Post Office reports busiest times ever.

 

 

 

 

18

 

Cooler, Windy

 

2018
Snowpack
Percent of Average for
June 18

+/- change since
May 29

N Sierra: 9%
(-2%)

Cen. Sierra: 0%
(-11%)

S Sierra: 0%
(-5%)

Ca State: 0%
(-9%)

Last
May 29

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

All Sierra Snow Info

 

 

SPRING THAW

RIVER INFORMATION


RESERVOIRS

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

 

Selected
Weather Resources

 

Surface Low Pressure Tracks

 

Radar

 

Visible Satellites

 

Water Vapor Satellites

 

MAPS

 

Sierra Forecasts

 

Western US Forecasts

 

Precip Animation & Charts

 

Graphical Precip Forecast

 

All Sierra Snow Info

 

Sierra Sensor Networks

 

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

 

High Sierra Highways

 

All Weather Information

19

 

REALTIME
High Sierra Crestline
Reporting Stations

Rubicon
7618 feet

Echo Peak
7652 feet

Carson Pass
8388 feet

Ebbetts Pass
8660 feet

Leavitt Lake
9602 feet

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank

Deadman Creek
9250 feet

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet

Gem Pass
10750 feet

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet


South Lake Cabin
9580 feet

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet

Bishop Pass
11972 feet

Charlotte Lake
10398 feet

Upr Tyndall Creek
11441 feet

 

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
HEATWAVE WEATHER HAZARD WARNINGS

Heat Hazard

Fording Hazard

Snow travel Hazard

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015
North Sierra SNOW FREE
South Sierra rapidly losing thin pack along crestline.

21

SUMMER SOLSTICE

SUMMER BEGINS
3:07 AM PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
HEATWAVE WEATHER HAZARD WARNINGS

Special
WEATHER
Circumstances
EXTREME DANGER WARNING

 

22

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015
REPORTS:
This looks like the end of the Spring Instability and advent of full-blown Summer HEAT.

ENSO inputs seem to be going IR batshit...

 

 

 

 

 

23

2018
HEATWAVE WEATHER HAZARD WARNINGS

Looks Hot for the Next Five Days...

Weather Warnings

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

2017
HEATWAVE WEATHER HAZARD WARNINGS

Heat Warnings expiring today-this afternoon.

SE Flank Flood Warnings expiring tomorrow: see

ALL HIGH SIERRA WEATHER ZONE FORECASTS

NOTE:
Hot temps continue...

 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
HEATWAVE WEATHER HAZARD WARNINGS

EXPIRED

FLOOD
HAZARD WARNINGS
EXTENDED

2017
Flood Warnings extended along length of East Sierra. in pm precip hits North Ca Coast, Northernmost Sierra.

 

2015
REPORTS:
Heat Wave Building in,
Thunderstorm Mechanism is operating, enhanced by trough bringing moisture-rich air North.

Valley temps up to 103 this next week. These temps can drive fierce T-Storms.

 

 

 

25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
WARNINGS
through
Fourth of July

Fording Hazard

Snow travel Hazard

 

26 27

28

 

 

 

 

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT WEEK

TOP

29

30

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snowpack

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2

3

 

4 5

6

 

LAST WEEK

NEXT MONTH

TOP

 

7

Top of Page

 

End of May

July

 

2018

anuary         February         March         April         May         June

July         August         September         October

November         December

 

2014 Calendar          2015 Calendar

2016 Calendar

2017 Calendar

Seasonal NOTES:
The Snowpack on the Sierra, storm activity, and temps during June are going to allow us to get a bead on when the Sierra Trails across the High Passes will start opening up, as well as the trails approaching them.

High Sierra Backpacker Weather

When the snows melt millions of mosquitoes rise from the saturated soils. It starts low down the mountain early in Spring and rises up the mountainside as Spring progresses. Be ready for the rising clouds of mosquitoes.

High Sierra MOSQUITOES

MARCH 2015 OBSERVATION REGARDING SPRING-EARLY SUMMER:
Everybody will open early, unless prohibited by use agreements. The issue driving behavior in June is going to be fires, not snowpack. This year is shaping up to have the hottest Wintertime temperatures pushing earliest opening of the Sierra trails and resorts with the least amount of snow and rain recorded since the Western settlement of California.

JUNE 2015 REPORTS:
A very warm unsettled month of May has brought continued unsettled Weather conditions into June. The overnight temps have been above freezing since late May, and the tropical remnants of Blanca appear to be scouring the remaining snow off the South Sierra quite quickly on June 10.
I expect a regular groove to be cut by hikers through what snow remains in the South Sierra mountain Passes along the JMT by the start of June.

2014 Calendar          2015 Calendar

2016 Calendar

2017 Calendar

 


Permits
Only remnants of reserved permits are available out of Yosemite, Mount Whitney Zone, and Desolation Wilderness.
Through-hiker permits into or across these areas are still available.

Permits

Yosemite Permits

Desolation Wilderness

Hoover Wilderness

 

June 24 2015 REPORTS:
ENSO activity seems to be tormenting the central-East US with tropical moisture appearing as tornadoes and T-storms. The "gunsight" that points this energy our way is not seasonally adjusted to point at the Sierra, but it looks like the "clip" is full.

This means that as Fall cooling beings these tropical flows could be pointed our way, if ocean heating trends continue.

Or not. We could just as easily maintain drought conditions. I put the chances at tropical El Nino Fall rains at 50-50 from today's perspective.

Bookends of High Sierra Experience

JUNE
2015

RECORD MINIMAL SNOW PACK

 

JUNE
2017

MASSIVE, RECORD SNOW PACK

 

2015 & 2016
ASSESMENTS

Tropical Thunderstorms, Rain and Snowstorms from supercharged El Nino torment lightly-geared PCT Hikers.
2015 NO THAW TO SPEAK OF: IT IS OVER.

2016 THAW PROGRESSING ON "TRADITIONAL," if a bit-A MONTH-earlier than "AVERAGE" SIERRA THAW TIMELINE.

 

The real danger of June is found between the swollen banks of rivers and even normally small placid creeks, surging with the power of the Spring Thaw. (Not this year)

During heavy Spring Thaws one can hear the grinding of unseen great granite boulders as supercharged river flows easily roll them downstream. (Not this year)

Carefully assess all river crossings, have contingency plans for being knocked down and losing your pack, and turn around if the dangers are too great. (All Years)

Happy Trails!

Tahoe to Whitney

Top of Page

2018

January         February         March         April         May         June

July         August         September         October         November         December

 

 

2014 Calendar          2015 Calendar

2016 Calendar          2017 Calendar

 

 

Trailhead
 

 

Contact
Alex Wierbinski

top of page

Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney

Your guide to backpacking the Sierra Crest, including the Tahoe to Yosemite, Pacific Crest, and John Muir Trails

top of page

© 2017 Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Crown Jewel of the Pacific Crest Trail