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

 


HIGH SIERRA BACKPACKER'S

Calendar

 

March
2018

 

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

 

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

 
2018
High Sierra
News
Winter
of
2018
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
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GUIDE
INDEX
High Sierra
Trail
MAPS
INDEX
High Sierra
Trail
MILES
INDEX
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2018
High Sierra
Backpacking Calendar

January         February         March         April         May         June

July         August         September         October        November         December

 

 

INDEX

 

March
2018

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

TRAILHEAD

Round Top
Summit City Canyon from Mount Reba.

ROUND TOP

Gateway to Summit City Creek & the first unmaintained segment of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Trail Guide           Map           Miles and Elevations

 

UPDATE
March 2018
This year's light snowpack may burn the Sierra & most of California a "new one" if present drought precip trends continue into the rising heat of the Spring Thaw.

Labeled Image

Trail Guide          Map          Miles and Elevations

 

End of February

March 2018

January        February       March      April       May      June     July     August     September       October      November      December

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

 

OBSERVE
The Winter and its Snowpack.
HEAVY? LIGHT?
Character and Sources of Storms?
Are Spring Conditions arriving with Spring?

Snowpack Status            Sierra Reporting Stations

 

 

 

 

 

The
"Spring-O-Meter"

Just how early is spring arriving in your neighborhood? Find out .. .
US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, February 23, 2017.

 

 

WINTER of 2018

 

 


All
High Sierra Weather Info

 



Latest Daily Snow Depth Summary

Daily Sierra Snowpack % of Normal pdf

Daily Snow-Water & Percent of Average

 

All Precipitation-Snow Data

All Snow Surveys

SWC & Snow Depth

 

 

 

 

Summer of 2018 Backpacking Plans?
Yosemite-Hoover-Desolation
&
John Muir Trail Hikers:

 

Time to
Order Next Year's Permits!

Reserved permits for June 2018 now available from Yosemite, Hoover, and Desolation Wilderness Areas. In other words, Yosemite, Desolation, and Hoover Wilderness Areas all offer advanced reservations about six months ahead of your desired hiking dates.

This means now is the time to get your JMT permit application, along with other popular hikes, into the Man.

Feb 18
Last year, during 2017, at this point in time I was estimating a powerful, potentially catastrophic Spring Thaw.

We had snow along the Sierra Crest through the whole Summer. Again, each year's thaw depends on the Winter snowpack against the profile of Spring temps and precip.

 


All Permits

Yosemite Permits         Desolation Wilderness

 

 

All Snow Information

December
Road News & Status Links

27

 

 

 

End of February

Next Week

 

Top

 

Summer Hiking
Plans

Permits
Question
Are our permit/hiking plans & times In agreement with the progress to Spring?

2017 ANSWER

 

Hoover Wilderness
Permit Reservations

now accepted

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Week

28

Winter of 2018
latest Reports

 

BETWEEN FRONTS
Cold Clouds to CLEAR

Stronger
Cold Northern Front
Approaches

Arrived Evening-Time

COLD
WARNING

STORM WARNINGS

 

 

NATIONAL HAZARD MAP

ALL HIGH SIERRA FORECASTS

 

 

Surface
Low Pressure Tracks

 

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 21st* weak Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 26th of Feb.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
Feb 26, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 14" -3
7618 feet
(17.4 H2O) +.3
26 & 14 -/-

Echo Peak 31 " -6
7652 feet
(26.5 ?H2O) -.1
30 & 13 -/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 36" -2
8388 feet
(14.2" H2O) +.2
25 & 10 -/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 47 " +7
8660 feet
(20.5" H2O) +.8
26 & 9 -/-

Leavitt Lake 72 " +2
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(19.7" H20) +.4
22 & 5 -/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
xx & xx:
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(18.60" ?H20) +.2
(BAD?)
36 & 1 +/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 16.98" -1.98
8163 feet, West Flank
(12.48") ?H20 +.16
37 & 2 +/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
8.65" -.37
35 & -3 +/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
30.52" Snow +.61
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(12.08" H2O) +.13 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
54.24" Snow +3.25
(15.88" H2O) +.32
36 & 8 +/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.2 H2O) +.1
38 & 1 +/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
3.1" Snow +1.5
32 & -2 +/-

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
26.11" Snow +2.16
32 & 6 +/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Answer
I doubt it, if you expected to begin backpacking early this Spring/Summer without full snow gear...

Evidence
Skiing until July?

Record Snowpack

Impending HUGE Spring Thaw on the way.

The Feb 20 Backpacker alert discusses how this much snow can affect PCT & JMT hiker's plans:

BACKPACKER ALERT
February 20, 2017

PCT PLANS/START TIMES GOING TO BE ADJUSTED FOR
HEAVY SNOW
&
DANGEROUS THAW CONDITIONS THIS YEAR.

 

 

 

 

Next Week

1

 

 

 

MODERATE-STRENGTH
WINTER STORM

Front Line Hit Last Night

Unstable Weather

 

COLD
WARNING

STORM WARNINGS

 

 

2018
Snowpack:

Percent of Average for
March 1.
(Change since Feb 24.)

N Sierra: 20%
(+3%)

Cen. Sierra: 27%
(+4%)

S Sierra: 22%
(+3%)

Ca State: 24%
(+5%)

Last
Feb 24, 2018

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

Next
March 5

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

During the 22nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 26th of Feb.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
Feb 28, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 21" +7
7618 feet
(18.1 H2O) +.7
35 & 18 +/+

Echo Peak 39 " +8
7652 feet
(27.4 ?H2O) +.9
35 & 18 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 47" +11
8388 feet
(15.2" H2O) +1.0
31 & 10 +/=

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 52 " +5
8660 feet
(21.4" H2O) +1.7
37 & 14 +/+

Leavitt Lake 82 " +10
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(19.6" H20) -.1
33 & 17 +/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
xx & xx:
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(18.72" ?H20) +.12
(BAD?)
36 & 18 =/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 34.49" +17.51
8163 feet, West Flank
(12.48") ?H20 =.0
34 & 22 -/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
22.28" +13.68
34 & 20 -/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
43.59" Snow +13.07
23.33" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(12.75" H2O) +.67 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
??.??" Snow +?.00
(16.64" H2O) +.76
36 & 16 =/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.2 H2O) =.0
37 & 18 -/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
6.1" Snow +3.0
30 & 16 -/+

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
27.86" Snow +1.75
32 & 15 =/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

 

 

 

2

 

 

MODERATE-STRENGTH
THICK WINTER STORM

 

STEADY PRECIP ALL DAY

BIG SNOW DAY

COLD POWDER

COLD
WARNING

STORM WARNING

 

NATIONAL HAZARD MAP

ALL HIGH SIERRA FORECASTS

 

 

Next Week

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

During the 22nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 26th of Feb.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 1, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 40" +19
7618 feet
(20.0 H2O) +1.9
31 & 24 -/+

Echo Peak 57 " +18
7652 feet
(29.5 ?H2O) +3.
29 & 23 -/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 61" +14
8388 feet
(16.7" H2O) +1.5
26 & 21 -/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 68 " +16
8660 feet
(24.3" H2O) +2.9
26 & 20 -/+

Leavitt Lake 109" +27
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(22.7" H20) +3.1
27 & 18 -/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
xx & xx:
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(20.28" ?H20) +1.56
(BAD?)
22 & 12 -/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 47.94" +13.45
8163 feet, West Flank
(12.48") ?H20 =.0
27 & 20 -/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
39.17" +16.89
34 & 20 -/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
52.22" Snow +8.63
23.33" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(16.5" H2O) +3.75 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
??.??" Snow +?.00
(21.08" H2O) +4.44
22 & 16 -/=

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.2 H2O??) =.0
24 & 18 -/=

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
20.1" Snow +14.0
20 & 15 -/-

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
35.42" Snow +7.56
22 & 11 -/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

2017
Cear and Warming

 

 

 

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 


3

 

 

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

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Week

 

 

 

 

2017
Overcast. First visible indication of slow moving Front descending from North after TEN DAYS of virtually no rain, which we really, really needed.

We did get light precip on Feb 25 & 26, but that was some very weak precip during an otherwise dry ten days.

Cold Semi-stationary Lows have been forming, persisting, and wandering about Gulf Alaska. These Lows also calved-off the Lows experienced on Feb 25-6, and have deepened and are pushing the impending Front coming tomorrow.
Our big High has begun to drop South over the past couple of days as these lows have strengthened.

Other Factors

Big T-Storms off NE Indonisia are firing up.

Arctic looks clear (big Highs)...and

 

All the pieces for whatever is coming this Spring are coming together in dynamic motion right now.

We will see.

 

 

2016
Very Light Rain,
Finally, "Winter-like" conditions followed by five days of lite precip.

Top

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

4

 

CLEARING

COLD
WARNING

STORM WARNING

 

Winter of 2018

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

During the 22nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 26th of Feb.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 2, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 43" +3
7618 feet
(210.0 H2O) +1.0
25 & 14 -/-

Echo Peak 62 " +5
7652 feet
(31.3 ?H2O) +1.8
25 & 14 -/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 62" +2
8388 feet
(17.6" H2O) +.9
29 & 13 +/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 70" +2
8660 feet
(26.2" H2O) +1.9
22 & 12 -/-

Leavitt Lake 118" +9
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(23.0" H20) +0.3
27 & 18 -/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
xx & xx:
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(21.48" ?H20) +1.2
(BAD?)
26 & 7 +/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 51.69" +3.75
8163 feet, West Flank
(12.83) ?H20 +.35
32 & 0 +/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
38.74" -.43
26 & -5 -/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
54.00" Snow +1.78
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(17.33" H2O) +.83 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
??.??" Snow +?.00
(23.84" H2O) +2.76
31 & 2 +/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.4 H2O??) +.2
31 & -3 +/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
16.4" Snow -3.7
22 & -7 +/-

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
37.27" Snow +1.85
25 & -2 +/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Overcast. Cooling. Late heavy precip from slow moving Front descending from North.

 

 

 

 

Top

5

 

CLEAR

COLD
WARNING

AVALANCHE THREAT

2018
Snowpack:

Percent of Average for
March 5.
(Change since Feb 1.)

N Sierra: 30%
(+10%)

Cen. Sierra: 43%
(+16%)

S Sierra: 37%
(+15%)

Ca State: 37%
(+13%)

Last
Feb 24, 2018
March 1, 2018

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

 

View of Sierra on March 5 by the...

MODIS
SIERRA SATELLITE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Cloudy but clearing.
Cold. Jet Stream out of NW bringing cold air.

Showers trailing slow moving Front that passed from the North.

 

The Weather Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

CLEAR to HAZY

COLD
WARNING

AVALANCHE THREAT

Weak Front to Southwest

After the Biggest Storms of the Winter of 2018, so far.

 

Warming Trend?

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 22nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 26th of Feb.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 4, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 35" -8
7618 feet
(21.2 H2O) +.20
35 & 16 +/+

Echo Peak 54 " -8
7652 feet
(31.2 ?H2O) -.1
40 & 14 +/=

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 55" -7
8388 feet
(17.7" H2O) +.1
37 & 6 +/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 61 " -9
8660 feet
(26.3" H2O) +.1
40 & 11 +/-

Leavitt Lake 111" -7
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(24.1" H20) +1.1
40 & 18 +/=

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
xx & xx:
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(21.72" ?H20) +.24
(BAD?)
47 & 6 +/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 43.6" -8.09
8163 feet, West Flank
(12.93) ?H20 +.1
45 & 7 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
30.33" -8.41
48 & -1 +/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
47.64" Snow -6.36
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(17.34" H2O) +.01 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
94.74" Snow +?.00
(24.00" H2O) +.16
49 & 13 +/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.4 H2O??) =.0
47 & -0 +/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
12.4" Snow -4.0
42 & 8 +/+

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
34.71" Snow -2.56
42 & 19 +/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

The Critical QuestionSn
of 2017:
"What's Next?"

2017
Currently
Cloudy but clearing, front passed South, High Building.
Cold Jet Stream out of NW bringing cold air.

Next 7 Days
Formation & activity of Lows to SW of Ca., above Hawaii are "firing up," but so is a High persisting off the Ca Coast.

Expect these Lows and the Hawaiian tropical moisture dragged up along their attendant front lines to be transported to the North around Ca. by this High over next 7 days.

Animated Weather Maps

Predicted Precip Animations & Charts

This forecast means California and the High Sierra are dodging a bullet.
Problems would have built up, rather than diminished if this currently impending bit of tropical activity was pointed at California and the Sierra.

 

 

Top

7

 

LIGHT PRECIP

COLD
WARNING

AVALANCHE THREAT

Weak Low & Front
off West Coast

 

 

NATIONAL HAZARD MAP

ALL HIGH SIERRA FORECASTS

All Temperatures

Graphical Interface

All Sat Views

 

All Snow Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snow & Temps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

 

CLOUDY-UNSTABLE


AVALANCHE THREAT

Weak Low & Front
off West Coast

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 22nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 26th of Feb.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 4, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 30" -5
7618 feet
(21.2 H2O) =.0
47 & 30 +/+

Echo Peak 50 " -4
7652 feet
(31.0 ?H2O) -.1
47 & 31 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 49" -6
8388 feet
(17.7" H2O) =.0
45 & 24 +/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 58 " -3
8660 feet
(26.3" H2O) =.0
43 & 30 +/+

Leavitt Lake 104" -7
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(24.0" H20) -.1
39 & 28 -/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
xx & xx:
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(21.6" ?H20) -.12
(BAD?)
45 & 23 -/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 41.15" -2.45
8163 feet, West Flank
(12.93) ?H20 =.0
47 & 16 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
25.76" -4.57
47 & 16 -/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
44.29" Snow -3.35
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(17.34" H2O) =.0 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
89.60" Snow -5.14
(24.12" H2O) +.12
47 & 23 -/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.4 H2O??) =.0
48 & 28 +/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
9.9" Snow -2.5
41 & 26 -/+

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
34.19" Snow -.52
38 & 22 -/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear, Cool, and Warming.

High Building off Ca Coast

 

2017
Weather

Status & Potential

 

9

 

CLOUDY-UNSTABLE


AVALANCHE THREAT

Snow Compressing...

Weak Lows & Front
off CA SF West Coast,
Onshore High

UNSTABLE BUT WEAK

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear, Cool with rising humidity, and Warming.

Big High off Ca Coast

 

 

10

 

CLOUDY-UNSTABLE

 

Top

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Hazy, humid, and Warming.

High off Ca Coast

11:17-11:30 AM
Huge Lightening Storm Northeast of Reno, West of Pyramid Lake.

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

Top

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

11

 

CLOUDY-CLEARING

 

 

 

 

 

 

REALTIME
High Sierra Crestline
Reporting Stations

(Compare with the 26th)

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

Tenaya Lake
8163 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 Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clearing, Warming, Big stationary High along Ca Coast.

12

 

CLEAR to CLOUDY

Two Lows off Coast of North America anchoring a front stretching from Hawaii to Aleutians just off the Coastline...

Both Moving North!

Medium-Light
Precip Afternoon-Evening

The Map

All Maps

WINTER STORM WARNING

 

 

 

 

View of Sierra on March 12 by the...

MODIS
SIERRA SATELLITE

 

All Sat Views

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

Before the 23nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 6th of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 8, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 26" -4
7618 feet
(21.5 H2O) +.3
44 & 28 -/-

Echo Peak 43 " -7
7652 feet
(31.0 ?H2O) =.0
48 & 28 +/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 43" -6
8388 feet
(17.8" H2O) +.1
49 & 25 +/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 49 " -9
8660 feet
(26.3" H2O) =.0
51 & 28 +/-

Leavitt Lake 97 " -7
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(24.0" H20) -.1
47 & 25 +/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
xx & xx:
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(21.6" ?H20) =.00
(BAD?)
48 & 21 +/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 34.78" -6.37
8163 feet, West Flank
(12.95) ?H20 +.2
53 & 23 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
18.6" -7.16
50 & 18 +/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
39.21" Snow -5.08
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(17.29" H2O) -.05 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
89.60" Snow -11.0
(24.44" H2O) +.32
52 & 26 +/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.5 H2O??) +.1
52 & 21 +/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
7.7" Snow -2.2
42 & 18 +/-

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
34.19" Snow -1.28
59 & 23 +/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear, Warm, stationary Big High along Ca Coast.

FUTURE
High dropping South on 14th, Lows consolidating & deepening in Gulf Alaska by 14th:
These are the outlines of Tropical Moisture Transport Mechanism.

Will the system shift back to "Tropical Wet" mode?

13

 

LIGHT PRECIP
Increasing this Evening

Random Downpours

Current Hazards

3-7 Day Hazard Outlook

 

The two Lows off the North American Coast are going to turn around, moving South, to affect us twice.

 

Top

 

 

 

Tahoe to Whitney
&
PCT--JMT hikers

TRAINING TIME
Order food, prep resupply packages, and repair gear.

Planning-Training. Resupply

How's the trajectory of the Winter towards the Spring Thaw?

That's going to determine the trajectory of access.

 

 

Winter of 2018

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

During the 23nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 6th of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 12, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 24" -2
7618 feet
(22.0 H2O) +.5
50 & 34 +/+

Echo Peak 46 "+3
7652 feet
(32.4 ?H2O) +1.4
49 & 34 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 50" +7
8388 feet
(18.6" H2O) +.8
47 & 30 -/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 56 " +7
8660 feet
(27.1" H2O) +.8
47 & 31 -/+

Leavitt Lake 101" +4
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(26.8" H20) +2.8
41 & 31 -/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
46 & 38
(New readout page sucks... & Tech issues)

Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(22.8" ?H20) +1.20
(BAD?)
37 & 30 -/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 31.77" -3.01
8163 feet, West Flank
(13.41) H20 +.49
42 & 33-/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
17.04" -1.56
45 & 31 -/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
38.35" Snow -.85
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(17.99" H2O) +.7 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
77.71" Snow -11.89
(24.6" H2O) +.16
39 & 30 -/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.5 H2O??) =.0
42 & 32 -/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
7.8" Snow +.1
38 & 30 -/+

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
33.8" Snow -.39
38 & 26 -/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snow & Temps

 

 

Top

14

 

LIGHT PRECIP
Clearing Afternoon
&
Evening

COLD
WARNING

 

All Snow Data

Surface Low Pressure Tracks

 

 

2018
Snowpack:

Percent of Average for
March 14
+/- change since
March 5

N Sierra: 32%
(+2%)

Cen. Sierra: 43%
(+0%)

S Sierra: 38%
(+1%)

Ca State: 38%
(+1%)

Last
March 5, 2018
March 1, 2018
Feb 24, 2018

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

During tail end of the 23nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 6th of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 13, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 40" +16
7618 feet
(22.8 H2O) +.8
45 & 28 -/-

Echo Peak 63 "+17
7652 feet
(33.6 ?H2O) +1.2
43 & 28 -/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 57" +7
8388 feet
(19.4" H2O) +.8
38 & 26 -/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 67" +11
8660 feet
(28.2" H2O) +1.1
39 & 25 -/-

Leavitt Lke 117" +16
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(27.6" H20) +.8
37 & 24 -/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
51 & 32 +/-


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(23.28" ?H20) +.48
(BAD?)
32 & 19 -/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 44.31" +12.54
8163 feet, West Flank
(13.41) ?H20 =.00
34 & 22 -/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
22.64" +5.6
36 & 20 -/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
43.31" Snow +4.96
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(18.85" H2O) +.86 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
87.48" Snow +9.77
(27.16" H2O) +2.56
31 & 18 -/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.5 H2O??) =.0
32 & 20 -/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
12.6" Snow +4.8
30 & 17 -/-

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
37.91" Snow +4.1
27 & 13 -/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensor

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear, HOT, stationary Big High along Ca Coast.

 

 

 

15

 

MODERATE PRECIP
Steady

Two Persistant Weak Lows. One off the Coast of Inland Alaska/BC and the other off the coast of central Ca.

COLD
WARNING

STORM WARNINGS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REALTIME
High Sierra Crestline
Reporting Stations

With 24hr High-Low

Compare with Yesterday!

Rubicon
7618 feet
30 & 21 -/-

Echo Peak
7652 feet
29 & 21 -/-

Carson Pass
8388 feet

29 & 19 -/-

Ebbetts Pass
8660 feet

27 & 19 -/-

Leavitt Lake
9602 feet
26 & 15 -/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
36 & 23 -/-

Deadman Creek
9250 feet
33 & 8 +/-

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

Tenaya Lake
8163 feet
29 & 5 -/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet
30 & 6 -/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet

Gem Pass
10750 feet

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
26 & 12 -/-

 

 

 

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet
31 & 13 -/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet
28 & 11 -/-

Bishop Pass
11972 feet

Charlotte Lake
10398 feet

Upr Tyndall Creek
11441 feet
16 & 5 -/-

 

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Marine Layer, changing, Low consolidating in Gulf Alaska, stationary Big High along Ca Coast moving South.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016
Sustained period of no rain beginning now until April 9

16

 

LIGHT PRECIP
Clearing Afternoon

 


COLD
WARNING

STORM WARNINGS

 

 

Top

 

Water Content
vs.
Snow Depth?

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 23nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 6th of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 14, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 66" +26
7618 feet
(25.7 H2O) +3.1
27 & 19 -/-

Echo Peak 90" +27
7652 feet
(34.2 ?H2O) +.6
25 & 19 -/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 81" +24
8388 feet
(21.6" H2O) +2.2
28 & 18 -/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 94 " +27
8660 feet
(28.6" H2O) +.4
23 & 15 -/-

Leavitt Lke 141" +24
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(27.6" H20) =.??
19 & 10 -/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
33 & 16 -/-


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(24.48" ?H20) +1.2
(BAD?)
21 & 14 -/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 56.63" +12.32
8163 feet, West Flank
(13.41) ?H20 =.00
24 & 19 -/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
39.31" +16.67
23 & 15 -/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
58.34" Snow +15.03
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(19.82" H2O) +.97 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
105.36" Snow +17.88
(28.84" H2O) +1.68
19 & 15 -/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.6 H2O??) +.1
25 & 15 -/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
12.6" Snow +4.8
30 & 17 -/-

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
45.6" Snow +7.69
24 & 11 -/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

2017
Marine Layer, changing, Low consolidating in Gulf Alaska, stationary Big High along Ca Coast moving South, but reforming.

TTM setting up to begin Monday-Tuesday next?

(Tropical Transport Mechanism)

 

17

 

UNSTABLE
Light Precip

 


COLD
WARNING

 

The
Big Green
One

Saint Pat's Day

 

Equal Length of Day & Night
March 17

Sunrise Sunset
March Calendar

 

 

Winter of 2018

 

NATIONAL HAZARD MAP

 

ALL HIGH SIERRA FORECASTS

 

 

Selected Resources

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

 

 

 

 

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

18

UNSTABLE
CLOUDY

Not Much Precip

 


COLD
WARNING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 23nd* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 6th of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 16, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 56" -10
7618 feet
(26.2 H2O) +.5
26 & 16 -/-

Echo Peak 81 " -9
7652 feet
(37.7 ?H2O) +3.5
26 & 15 +/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 74" -7
8388 feet
(22.2" H2O) +.6
30 & 6 +/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 87" -7
8660 feet
(32.9" H2O) +4.3
28 & 12 +/-

Leavitt Lke 129" -12
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(28.1" H20) +.5
22 & 9 +/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
32 & 8 -/-


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(24.48" ?H20) +.36
(BAD?)
36 & -7 +/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 52.23" -4.4
8163 feet, West Flank
(13.65) ?H20 +.24
33 & -3 +/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
33.18" -6.13
35 & -10 +/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
53.84" Snow -4.5
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(19.82" H2O) =.00 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
105.36" Snow -9.7
(29.28" H2O) -.56
37 & 2 +/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(16.7 H2O??) +.1
39 & -4 +/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
15.7" Snow +3.1
28 & -5 -/-

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
43.16" Snow -2.44
28 & 0 +/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Marine Layer, changing, Low breaking apart in Gulf Alaska, stationary Big High along Ca Coast moving & splitting apart, but reforming to the South.

We've had a Big High since the Sixth, beginning to break down since the 14th, and it's now lapsing.

This same High that has been transporting tropical moisture around its Northern perimeter, and around us, to points North of the Oregon border, mostly up through Seattle, is now moving far enough South to transport that moisture here.

Since the Sixth we've seen a constant line of weak Lows moving NE out of the SW which end up wandering around Gulf Alaska before dispelling or moving East

These Lows will roll across the Sierra if the High moves and stays South.

My focus moves to the Southwestern portion of the North Pacific when the High & Low patterns in the East Pacific off the California Coast "open" a sub-tropical transport alley between them.

When that happens I look to the traditional "hot spot" for storms off the NE coast of Indonesia.
The potentially monster storms born there can spew huge amounts of hot tropical moisture right to the top of the troposphere.

From that vantage point their disposition depends on the configuration and motions of Pacific Highs and Lows.

Right now a great storm off the coast of Indonesia has reached its end and is fizzling out:

Tropical Storm Activity

The other thing I look at is the water temps around there, off the NE coast of Indonesia. They appear to be chilling out.

Pacific Ocean Temps

Both the storm activity and the water temps were just "High and Hot," respectively, and have just relaxed as our potential storm window has opened up. Us Lucky Dogs! This reduces the moisture coming our way, for now.

Things could fire up again quite quickly.

19

UNSTABLE
CLOUDY

No Precip

 

TRAINING TIME
Doing the JMT, PCT, TYT, TW?

If you are not training for the trip now you are an idiot.

WHY?

I Want Skittles!

 

Winter of 2018

 

NATIONAL HAZARD MAP

 

ALL HIGH SIERRA FORECASTS

 

 

Selected Resources

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

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snow & Temps

2017
Marine Layer, changing, Low breaking apart in Gulf Alaska, stationary Big High along Ca Coast moving & splitting apart, but reforming to the South.

No precip since the 6th.

Mountain Temps Cooling.

 

 

 

20

UNSTABLE
Weak Low
TROPICAL
Light Precip Early
Med Precip Late

WEATHER NOTE

Prime Equinox

Vernal Equinox
First Day of Spring
09:15 AM PDT in SF.
09:15 AM PDT in LA.
This is the first day of Nature's Year, if no longer of man's.

KILLER VIDEO

 

NAVIGATION SECTION:

PDT-PST
TIME OFFSETS

ALL
TIME RESOURCES

Now Winter ends and growth begins at this one of the two points our Earth is balanced between its annual extremes.

This Equinox could be called "heat and growth coming," the other, "heat and growth going."

These two Equinoxes are our year's major transition points.

May you find Fine Trails and Beautiful Vistas decorating many challenging and exciting backpacking trips through Nature's Wonders this upcoming new year and season.

 

 

Equal Length of Day & Night
March 17

Sunrise Sunset
March Calendar

 

 

2018
Snowpack:

Percent of Average for
March 20
+/- change since
March 14

N Sierra: 40%
(+8%)

Cen. Sierra: 55%
(+12%)

S Sierra: 43%
(+5%)

Ca State: 48%
(+10%)

Last
March 14, 2018
March 5, 2018
March 1, 2018
Feb 24, 2018

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017

(2017-Light Precip)

2017
First of two weak fronts attached to two weak lows off the N Ca Coast.

Light Precip

Weak Lows have been wandering about Gulf Alaska for days...

 

21

Tropical Weather
Weak Low
TTM
Med to Heavy Precip

NEW
FANTASTIC FORECAST MODELS

 

Warm tropical moisture

 

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

During the 24th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 13th of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 18, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 46" -10
7618 feet
(28.2 H2O) +2.0
40 & 31 +/+

Echo Peak 72 " -9
7652 feet
(40.1 ?H2O) +2.4
38 & 33 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 69" -5
8388 feet
(23.8" H2O) +1.6
38 & 25 +/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 85" -2
8660 feet
(34.7" H2O) +2.2
35 & 27 +/+

Leavitt Lke 134" +5
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(28.9" H20) +.8
36 & 24 +/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
44 & 24 +/+


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(25.8" ?H20) +1.32
(BAD?)
37 & 31 +/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 47.35" -4.88
8163 feet, West Flank
(15.63) ?H20 +1.98
39 & 33 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
30.25" -2.93
32 & 29 -/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
57.62" Snow +3.78
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(21.00" H2O) +1.18 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
108.56" Snow +3.2
(31.96" H2O) +2.68
34 & 29 -/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(17.1 H2O??) +.4
33 & 29 -/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
30.3" Snow +14.6
28 & 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
50.84" Snow +7.68
32 & 25 +/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

Top

 

 

2017
Light Precip
Tails of two weak fronts attached to two weak lows off the N Ca Coast are dragging broken clouds to clearing conditions. The next Low & associated front is about a day out.

It's not these two storms this week we have to worry about. It's the third, much more powerful one now forming in the East Pac and moving our way. We are going to see serious problems if that storm is reinforced by tropical activity from off the NW coast of Indonesia.

Then, the prospect of an enduring series of warm tropical Spring rains on a record breaking snow pack brings the possibility of local and widespread catastrophic Spring thaw events.

 

Top

 

22

Tropical Weather
Weak Low
TTM
Med to Heavy Precip

Clearing & Cooling Evening

 

 

NATIONAL HAZARD MAP

 

ALL HIGH SIERRA FORECASTS

 

2018
Snowpack:

Percent of Average for
March 22
+/- change since
March 20

N Sierra: 43%
(+3%)

Cen. Sierra: 61%
(+6%)

S Sierra: 50%
(+7%)

Ca State: 52%
(+4%)

Last
March 20
March 14, 2018
March 5, 2018
March 1, 2018
Feb 24, 2018

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Snow & Temps

23

Clearing
Cool Air
Pending Arrival

Weak Low & Front from North

End of Tropical Precip

 

 

COLD
WARNING

 

 

 

2018
Snowpack:

Percent of Average for
March 23
+/- change since
March 22

N Sierra: 44%
(+1%)

Cen. Sierra: 65%
(+4%)

S Sierra: 57%
(+7%)

Ca State: 56%
(+3%)

Last
March 22
March 20
March 14, 2018
March 5, 2018
March 1, 2018
Feb 24, 2018

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 24th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 13th of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 21, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 51" +5
7618 feet
(30.9 H2O) +2.7
37 & 22 -/-

Echo Peak 77 " +5
7652 feet
(43.4 ?H2O) +3.3
35 & 20 -/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 83" +14
8388 feet
(26.6" H2O) +2.8
35 & 19 -/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 103 " +18
8660 feet
(39.5" H2O) +4.8
34 & 20 -/-

Leavitt Lke 152" +18
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(29.9" H20) +1.0
33 & 20 -/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
42 & 27 -/-


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(28.32" ?H20) +2.52
(BAD?)
36 & 14 -/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 61.75" +14.4
8163 feet, West Flank
(15.81) ?H20 +0.18
37 & 8 -/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
42.23" +11.98
39 & 7 +/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
80.3" Snow +22.68
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(22.98" H2O) +1.98 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
130.08" Snow +21.52
(36.64" H2O) +4.68
31 & 17 -/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(18.0 H2O??) +.9
38 & 16 +/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
44.9" Snow +14.6
32 &13 +/-

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
67.72" Snow +16.88
29 & 13 -/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 2017
  HIKER REPORT

2017
Hazy-Clearing. Break between Fronts.


Cayenne Reports
2017
Reports and assesses Spring and Summer High Sierra Prospects.

Cayenne
2017
Instagram Photo
Elephant Back BURIED

Elephant Back

 

 

 

 

 

24

Weak Front
&
Low
Descending
from Northwest
Dissapating

Cloudy to Clearing

COLD
WARNING

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

Selected 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

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Front. Moderate intensity precip. Last bit passing Sierra during AM 25th.

 

 

Top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Week

 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

25

 

Weak Front
&
Low
Descending
from Northwest
Dissapated

HIGH BUILDING IN

 

COLD
WARNING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 25th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 22nd of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 23, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 53" +2
7618 feet
(31.0 H2O) +.1
30 & 16 -/-

Echo Peak 79" +2
7652 feet
(44.0 ?H2O) +.6
30 & 16 -/-

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 84" +1
8388 feet
(27.4" H2O) +.8
31 & 14 -/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 101 " -2
8660 feet
(40.1" H2O) +.6
25 & 17 -/-

Leavitt Lke 152" +18
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(30.91" H20) +.2
25 & 15 -/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
37 & 26 -/-


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(29.04" ?H20) +0.72
(BAD?)
30 & 7 -/-

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 61.53" -0.22
8163 feet, West Flank
(16.54) ?H20 +0.73
28 & 11 -/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
42.23" -2.00
29 & 14 -/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
74.6" Snow -5.6
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(23.30" H2O) +.30 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
122.78" Snow -7.3
(37.52" H2O) +0.30
33 & 16 +/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(18.1 H2O??) +.1
33 & 13 -/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
38.2" Snow -6.7
26 & 11 -/-

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
61.49" Snow -6.23
28 & 9 -/-
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


2017
Snow & Temps

26

 

High
Off West Coast of USA

Clearing and Warming

 

 

Winter of 2018
last Reports

 

Spring of 2018
First Reports

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Front passed, Clearing, yet the sky kept spitting, "spray," an indication of the degree of saturation of this tropical air we are experiencing.
This wetness leaked over from the huge Low that moved North up the West Pac last week to the end of the Aleutian Chain today.

Beware warming temps bringing tropical rains!

This thing is going to warm up quickly, if the trends of the last 20 years continue through this Spring...

2017
Cayenne Reports
Dude, we had 180 mile ridge gust out here – INSANE!!! The cornices on some of the high altitude passes will not melt out on the north facing aspects this summer. NOAA is calling for over a foot of snow this weekend. The high country just keeps getting hit.

I did not even go into how many down trees, eroded trails and washed out bridges will be encountered. Not a good year for the novice backpacker or hiker. Can anybody say, “backcountry glissading accident or swift water rescue”?

 

 

Top

27

 

High
Off West Coast of USA

Clear and Warm

Warm Days-Cold Nights

 

Summer Conditions

 

2018
Snowpack:

Percent of Average for
March 27
+/- change since
March 23

N Sierra: 48%
(+4%)

Cen. Sierra: 65%
(=%)

S Sierra: 56%
(-1%)

Ca State: 58%
(+2%)

Last
March 23
March 22
March 20
March 14, 2018
March 5, 2018
March 1, 2018
Feb 24, 2018

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 25th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 22nd of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 23, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 47" -6
7618 feet
(31.4 H2O) +.4
33 & 29 +/+

Echo Peak 75" -5
7652 feet
(43.8 ?H2O) -.2
37 & 17 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 87" -7
8388 feet
(27.5" H2O) +.2
33 & 13 +/-

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 93 " -8
8660 feet
(40.1" H2O) =.0
33 & 15 +/-

Leavitt Lke 144" -8
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(30.3" H20) -.61
26 & 8 +/-

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
38 & 9 +/-


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(29.16" ?H20) +0.12
(BAD?)
45 & 17 +/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 56.91" -4.62
8163 feet, West Flank
(17.05) ?H20 +0.51
50 & 27 +/+

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
36.72" -5.51
47 & 11 +/-

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
69.04" Snow -5.56
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(23.15" H2O) -.15 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
119.65" Snow -3.13
(37.52" H2O) =0.00
50 & 13 +/-

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(18.1 H2O??) =.0
33 & 13 -/-

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
38.2" Snow -6.7
50 & 5 +/-

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
62.5" Snow +1.01
35 & 13 +/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Current Snowpack:
Percent of Average for
March 27.

N Sierra: 145%

Cen. Sierra: 174%

S Sierra: 166%

 

Ca State: 163%

Statewide Summary of Snow Water Content PDF

Last Reading:
March 1

 

 

 

28

 

High
Off West Coast of USA

Clear and Warm

Warm Days-Warm Nights

 

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2017
Snow & Temps

2017
Clear. Big High building off Coast of California.

 

 

 

 

Top

29

 

High Weakens
Off West Coast of USA

Cloud Cover and Warm

Warm Days-Warm Nights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Month

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear. Vast High building off Coast of California, Temps building.

Current
Pac Surface Map

General Weather Status

Tropical Activity Moderate off NE coast of Indonesia.

Vast Low in N Cen Pac sucking up most Tropical Moisture from Indonesia...

VAST HIGH OFF CA COAST deflecting most of the rest of this moisture around us.

TEMPS WARMING,
But still cool.

Our expanding stationary High will warm things up and begin the Spring Thaw in earnest during the next couple of days.

 

30

 

High Weakens
Off West Coast of USA

Cloud Cover and Warm

Warm Days-Warm Nights

A bit Cooler

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear. Vast High building off Coast of California, Temps building. Windy

SAFETY FIRST
Cayenne's First Aid Approach

2017
"I honestly think that very few people will complete the PCT this year because the Cascades have had an amazing amount of snow too. Crater Lake, Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Hood and Mt. Baker are all having record snow years too."

 

31

 

Instability
Off West Coast of USA

Cloud Cover and Warm

Warm Days-Warm Nights

A bit Cooler

A flurry of weak local Lows lay atop a great High Pressure Ridge off West Coast of USA.

No precip whatsoever

 

SUMMER
Backpackers

Time again to begin observing Winter transitioning into Spring

SPRING
Backpackers

Time to begin tracking the weather to find and get in this year's last snow trips before the Spring Thaw begins in Earnest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2018
HIGH SIERRA
--WINTER--
Temp-Snow Check

After the 25th* Front-"storm" this Fall & Winter.

The last fronts before this incident came across on the 22nd of March.

Let's check our reporting station snow & temp readings.

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

Last Report:
March 27, 2018

A NEW WATER YEAR

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 44" -3
7618 feet
(31.4 H2O) =.0
57 & 38 +/+

Echo Peak 65" -10
7652 feet
(43.8 ?H2O) =.0
57 & 37 +/+

American-Yuba Watersheds

Carson Pass 67" -20
8388 feet
(27.5" H2O) =.0
56 & 30 +/+

Carson-Walker
Watershed
s

Ebbetts Pass 82 " -11
8660 feet
(40.2" H2O) +.1
57 & 34 +/+

Leavitt Lke 135" -9
(errors)
9602 feet, East Flank
(39.6" H20) +9.3
51 & 32 +/+

Marine Base
6748 feet East Flank
FULL REPORT
VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB-WIND
65 & 22 +/+


Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds

Deadman Creek
9250 feet, West Flank
000.0 Snow (BAD?)
(29.28" ?H20) +0.12
(BAD?)
51 & 21 +/+

Tuolumne-Merced
Watersheds

Tenaya Lake 51.91" -5.00
8163 feet, West Flank
(17.05) ?H20 =0.00
56 & 26 +/-

Tuolumne Meadows
8600 feet, West Flank
31.09" -5.63
53 & 20 +/+

Tioga Pass/Dana
9798 feet
59.03" Snow -10.01
--.--" H20) (ERROR?)
(Temps NONE)

Mammoth Mountain Ski

Mono Lake-Owens Basin

Gem Pass
10750 feet
SNO " Depth Suspect
(22.68" H2O) -.47 Suspect Suspect
temps suspect

Mammoth Pass
9500 feet
106.38" Snow -13.27
(37.64" H2O) +.12
58 & 30 +/+

South Lake Cabin
9580 feet, East Flank
(Snow BAD")
(18.1 H2O??) =.0
59 & 26 +/+

Big Pine Sawmill
10200 feet, East Flank
26.21" Snow -11.99
51 & 26 +/+

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
54.53" Snow -7.97
48 & 30 +/+
(station reporting again!)

All High Sierra
Reporting Stations

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

Watersheds and Selected Network of Crestline Sensors

All Sierra Forecast Zones

All Precip Forecasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2017
Clear. Vast High building off Coast of California, Temps building. Windy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Week

Next Month

 

 

 

 

Top

April 1

End of February

2018

January         February         March         April         May         June

July         August         September         October

November         December

Beginning of April

 

Classic Feb
NOTES

Short days and long cold nights are the bookends within which we plan our Winter backpacking trips.

High Sierra SNOW trips can be followed up by exciting trips into the moderate Winter Climate of Death Valley. Best time to see DV.

 

 

 

Seasonal NOTES:
December Tenth, 2015:
Intense tropical flows have so far been diverted around us by the same persistent ridge, the high pressure zone that's been gradually building, strengthening, and persisting over Winter in the Northwest and West Pac over the last fifteen years. Yup, that one. I am betting that each time this ridge breaks down from here on out we will have a good chance of North and Central California getting seriously hosed. The ridge persisting will continue the deluge that everyone from Portland Oregon, and points North, has been getting pounded with, so far this year.

The distribution of El Nino tropical moisture has been controlled by the balance of factors I discussed in the December Backpacker Alert.

Season's Greetings: Alex and all the members of Tahoe to Whitney hope you had a killer backpacking year, that you’ve seen amazing things and met incredible folks on the long trails between Lake Tahoe and Mount Whitney. Woo Hooo!

Now's the Time! November & December is the time to reserve permits in Desolation Wilderness or Yosemite National Park for next June. Half of each ‘s Wilderness Permits for these heavily used areas are available six months before the start date of the backpacking trip.

 

 

This 2017 High Sierra backpacking and backpacker's Calendar notes important hiking dates as our seasons progress to compare current and recent historical weather to determine the best gear for the conditions. We also track the expected against the actual dates our resupply locations and the trans Sierra highways that feed them open and close. We also include permit reservation timing reminder information for those who seek hard to get permits from Yosemite and Hoover Wilderness Areas.

The Seasonal Backpacker

Nature of season.

Seasonal hopes…

If so, our goals, our speed, and our expectations have fully shifted into Winter Mode.

Our changing inner perspective ideally matches external environmental changes.

May your perspective always complement your environment, and visa-versa.

 

2014 Calendar          2015 Calendar

2016 Calendar          2017 Calendar

 

The Classic Feb. Question
Piercing Cold this month or just “Normal" Cold?

2016 Answer:
Hot as heck 1st through the 15th. No Cold.

2017 Answer:
Vast Rain and Snowfall from tropical sources typically bring wet, heavy, snow to the Sierra that is subject to chances of of being subjected to rainfall across the Sierra Crest. So it has been during 2017.

Therefore this season could be catagorized as having "warm" Winter conditions, despite the occasional plunges in temps we've seen a couple of times this Winter.

Last year's warmth during Feb was Summer-like, having little resemblence to typical "Wintertime" temps and weather patterns. The Winter heat of 2015 was even more abberent.

This year we are having real Wintertime conditions for the first time since the Winter of 2010-2011, yet this year's temps strike me as being a bit "warm" for typical Winter conditions.

The Classic Feb. Question
Heavy Snow Storms or None at All?

2017 Answer:
Feb. 15 Report
We have gotten pounded with record precip & snow.

Early Implications

1> Not an early start year for PCT-JMT hikers.

2> Potentially dangerous fording and trail conditions Spring & early in Summer.

3> Moist conditions all Summer long feeding mosquitoes all Summer long.

 

2016 Answer:
Feb. 15 Report
No Storms of significance to 15th.
No real storms hitting the Sierra for over two weeks, snow looking funky, coming apart, but high humidity bringing light snow when temps drop...
Snowpack retreating.

2017 Answer:
Adding Complexity
La Nina.

Weakening as of Jan 25. Diminishing, maybe ending...

 

 

February 2018

 

I am hoping my frostbite/heart is recovered enough to resume my annual Christmas-New Year Snow Camping Triangle at the end of 2016.

From Meyers to Round Lake to Showers Lake to Round Top Lake and back to Meyers is my traditional December 25 Christmas present to myself.

The terrain, the joy of navigation and route finding the snow-covered beauty of the High Sierra during Winter is a special experience well worth the efforts and hazards.

Happy Trails!

Tahoe to Whitney

 

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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

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Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney

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

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