August 2019 Tahoe to Whitney High Sierra Backpacking Calendar

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

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Prime Time Backpacking Mosquitoes diminishing to irrelevance. Hot Temps moderate into cool backpacking. Lowering Sun brings increasing contrasts to terrain. Hiker Traffic Decreasing. MONTH OF FIRE All Permits Yosemite Permits Desolation Wilderness All Snow Information December Road News & Status Links		30 July LAST MONTH 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 2018 FIRE-SMOKE-HEAT -WARNINGS- Until Further Notice Yosemite Valley Closed FERGUSON-CARR-CRANSTON FIRES NEWS & INFORMATION	31 July 2018 Yosemite Valley Closed	1 THINK AHEAD CCC Backcountry Trail Crew Applications due EARLY FEB 2020	2 2017 HEAT WAVE BUILDING T-Strom Warnings Storm Warnings yet: Heavy snow at high altitudes mostly in the South Sierra preserves the: SNOW TRAVEL HAZARD, but now mostly limited to higher up the flanks & crest of the South Sierra. Still lots of snow on South Sierra & protected parts of North Sierra Crest, less on others. Protected areas full of snow in N & S Sierra. High Altitude Trips are STILL SNOW TRIPS	3 Informative "Normal" Vs. Now Forcasts & Reality vs. Averages Winds? Weather? NorCal Graphics SoCal & SW US Precipitation Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts: RAIN FORECASTS Let's look at the Big Picture The Pacific Ocean Set this for 14 days & Display Loop Below US Weather Map All Maps All High Sierra Weather And the factors creating it LAST MONTH NEXT WEEK TOP
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
4 LAST WEEK NEXT WEEK TOP	5 2018 Yosemite Valley Closed DONNELL FIRE THREATENS CARSON ICEBERG & EMIGRANT WILDERNESS Yosemite Valley Closed Indefiently 2017 Snowpack & Temps	6 C to H 2018 PCT CLOSED DONNELL FIRE CLOSES PCT Between Ebbetts and Sonora Passes SMOKEY TIMES Heavy Smoke was covering the whole Sierra from Susanville in the far North all the way South to and past Mount Whitney. Note PCT from Sonora to Ebbetts Passes, and most of the Carson Iceberg Wilderness closed from Today until September 8	7	8 LAST WEEK NEXT WEEK TOP	9	10 2018 FIRE-SMOKE-HEAT -WARNINGS- WHOLE CARSON ICEBERG CLOSED DONNELL FIRE Carson Iceberg Wilderness CLOSED DONNELL FIRE Information KENNEDY MEADOWS THREATENED LAST WEEK NEXT WEEK TOP
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
11 LAST WEEK NEXT WEEK TOP	12 C to C 2018 FIRE-SMOKE-HEAT -WARNINGS- CLOSED Yosemite Valley & Wawona CLOSED PCT CLOSED: Sonora to Ebbetts Passes W Flank Carson Iceberg Wilderness CLOSED Highland Lakes CLOSED	13 Modis Satellite Views Compare 2015, 17, 18, & 19 Current Sat Views 2017 Backpacker Alert Update Almost Normal Conditons: Still Snow on Crest Fords Higher than Normal	14 HEAT ADVISORY, & EXCESSIVE HEAT HAZARDS Sacto-----Hanford Hanford Heat HAZARDS 2018 Yosemite Valley Opened Yosemite Valley Opens Thunderstorms Lightening Hazard DONNELL FIRE 25% Contained KENNEDY MEADOWS THREATENED	15 HEAT ADVISORY, & EXCESSIVE HEAT HAZARDS Sacto-----Hanford Hanford Heat HAZARDS HEAT WARNINGS STORM WARNINGS	16 HEAT ADVISORY, & EXCESSIVE HEAT HAZARDS Sacto-----Hanford Hanford Heat HAZARDS Gaines Fire Starts Station Reports FIFTH --Summer-- Temp Snow Check Last Report: July 14 Next Report: Sept 18 Tahoe Basin Watershed Southwest Tahoe Trail Map with Stations PCT-TYT-TRT Rubicon 7618 feet Trail Map 77 & 57 PCT-TYT-TRT Echo Peak 7652 feet Stations Map 76 & 56 American-Yuba Watersheds PCT-TYT Carson Pass 8388 feet Trail Map Stations Map 74 & 48 Carson-Walker Watersheds PCT-TYT Ebbetts Pass 8660 feet Trail Map 74 & 53 West of PCT Highlands Meadow 8360 feet Trail Map 73 & 47 EAST FLANK Leavitt Lake 9602 feet, East Flank Trail Map 69 & 53 EAST FLANK Marine Base Cold Weather Training 6748 feet East Flank Trail Map Above FULL REPORT VIS-CHIL-WEA-MB- WIND 107 & 48 Mokelumne-Stanislaus Watersheds PCT-TYT Sonora Pass Kennedy Meadows RESUPPLY Deadman Creek 9250 feet,West Flank, Trail Map 71 & 41 Tuolumne-Merced Watersheds SW of TYT Horse Meadow 8602 feet Trail Map 73 & 43 Tenaya Lake 8163 feet, West Flank Trail Map 76 & 43 JMT-PCT-TYT Tuolumne Meadows 8600 feet, West Flank Trail Map 77 & 40 Tioga Pass/Dana 9798 feet Trail Map 71 & 43 Mammoth Mountain Mono Lake-Owens Basin East of PCT-JMT Above Gem Lake Gem Pass 10750 feet Trail Map temps bad JMT-PCT Junction Devils Postpile 8004 feet Trail Map Above 79 & 42 NE of JMT-PCT Mammoth Pass 9500 feet Trail Map 74 & 50 JMT-PCT E of Bear Ridge Volcanic Knob 10100 feet Trail Map 70 & 41 East Flank South Lake Cabin 9580 feet, East Flank Trail Map 77 & 49 East Flank Big Pine Sawmill 10200 feet, East Flank Trail Map Above 71 & 43 Kings River Just East JMT-PCT Bishop Pass 11972 feet Trail Map Above BAD- BAD Just West JMT-PCT Charlotte Lake 10398 feet, West Flank Trail Map 67 & 44 (Typically the coldest station) Kern Watershed JMT-PCT Upr Tyndall Creek 11441 feet Trail Map 69 & 50 JMT Crabtree Meadow 10,700 feet Trail Map 70 & 44 All High Sierra Reporting Stations More Stations, by Watersheds	17 -- HOT -- But No HEAT ADVISORY, OR EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS Informative "Normal" Vs. Now Forcasts & Reality vs. Averages BEST FORECASTS Precipitation General Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts: ALL RAIN FORECASTS & MODELS Direct to Seven Day Precip Animation Precipitation Geographic All High Sierra ZONE & POINT FORECASTS All High Sierra ZONE FORECASTS Now RADAR Direct to GRAPHICAL INTERFACE Forecast Winds? Weather? NorCal Graphics Region, SW US Forecast Temperatures Model Five Day Mean Low Temps Click Green "Latest" Model, observe using step button *All Temps* Let's look at the Big Picture Surface Map The Pacific Ocean US Weather Map All Maps
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
18 Cooling Not M P LAST WEEK NEXT WEEK TOP	19 Cooling No ip	20 Cool REALTIME High Sierra Crestline Reporting Stations (Compare with temps on Aug 16th) Rubicon 7618 feet Trail Map Echo Peak 7652 feet Stations Map Carson Pass 8388 feet Trail Map Stations Map Ebbetts Pass 8660 feet Trail Map Highlands Meadow 8360 feet Trail Map Leavitt Lake 9602 feet, East Flank Trail Map Marine Base Cold Weather Training6748 feet East Flank Trail Map Above Deadman Creek 9250 feet Trail Map Horse Meadow 8602 feet Trail Map Tenaya Lake 8163 feet, West Flank Trail Map Tuolumne Meadows 8600 feet Trail Map Tioga Pass/Dana 9798 feet Trail Map Gem Pass 10750 feet Trail Map Devils Postpile 8004 feet Trail Map Above Mammoth Pass 9500 feet Volcanic Knob 10100 feet Trail Map South Lake Cabin 9580 feet Big Pine Sawmill 10200 feet Bishop Pass 11972 feet Charlotte Lake 10398 feet Upr Tyndall Creek 11441 feet Crabtree Meadow 10,700 feet All High Sierra Reporting Stations	21	22 T W NATIONAL HAZARD MAP ALL HIGH SIERRA FORECASTS 2017 Season-Long April 1 to Aug 22 BACKPACKER ALERT TERMINATED "Season-Normal" Hazards Continue. Original Alert, April 1, 2017 Current Potential Hazards Heat Waves Fording Danger Lightening Danger Fire & Smoke Mosquitoes Mountain Safety Page	23 Cl	24
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
25 W F LAST WEEK NEXT MONTH Top Review the August 2017 Trail News	26 2017 HEAT WARNING Through Labor Day Excessive Heat National Hazard Map 2016-17 High Sierra Season Review	27	28 WARM RED FLAG, T-STORM, & HEAT ADVISORY Sacto-----Reno HAZARDS T-STORMS REALTIME High Sierra Crestline Reporting Stations (Compare with temps on Aug 16th) Rubicon 7618 feet Trail Map Echo Peak 7652 feet Stations Map Carson Pass 8388 feet Trail Map Stations Map Ebbetts Pass 8660 feet Trail Map Highlands Meadow 8360 feet Trail Map Leavitt Lake 9602 feet, East Flank Trail Map Marine Base Cold Weather Training6748 feet East Flank Trail Map Above Deadman Creek 9250 feet Trail Map Horse Meadow 8602 feet Trail Map Tenaya Lake 8163 feet, West Flank Trail Map Tuolumne Meadows 8600 feet Trail Map Tioga Pass/Dana 9798 feet Trail Map Gem Pass 10750 feet Trail Map Devils Postpile 8004 feet Trail Map Above Mammoth Pass 9500 feet Volcanic Knob 10100 feet Trail Map South Lake Cabin 9580 feet Big Pine Sawmill 10200 feet Bishop Pass 11972 feet Charlotte Lake 10398 feet Upr Tyndall Creek 11441 feet Crabtree Meadow 10,700 feet All High Sierra Reporting Stations	29 2018 DONNELL FIRE Containment 63% Last Ferguson Fire Report Status of the Sierra 2018 CARR & CRANSTON FIRES, Socal Fire Reports	30 ALL SMOKE RESOURCES BEST FORECASTS Precipitation General Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts: ALL RAIN FORECASTS & MODELS Direct to Seven Day Precip Animation Precipitation Geographic All High Sierra ZONE & POINT FORECASTS All High Sierra ZONE FORECASTS Now RADAR Direct to GRAPHICAL INTERFACE Forecast Winds? Weather? NorCal Graphics Region, SW US Forecast Temperatures Model Five Day Mean Low Temps Click Green "Latest" Model, observe using step button *All Temps* Let's look at the Big Picture Surface Map The Pacific Ocean US Weather Map All Maps	31 2017 RISING RECORD-LEVEL HEAT INTENSE FIRES (Western US Burning) DENSE, WIDESPREAD SMOKE LAST WEEK NEXT MONTH Top
1 September	Beginning of September End of July 2019 Top of Page January February March April May June July August September October November December 2014 Calendar 2015 Calendar 2016 Calendar 2017 Calendar 2018 Calendar Beginning of September

As snow travel and fording dangers receede on the High Sierra terrain, the next danger grows in the skies.

July brings the peak of the Summer Thunderstorm Season in the High Sierra.
These are typically local weather, caused by heat waves in the San Joaquin Valley swept up the West Sierra Flank.

Hot wet air on a fast ride up the West Sierra flank to high elevations squeezes out what can be substantial daily rain and lightening activity lasting between 2 pm and sunset.

Don’t cross open ground under one of these storms. They are deadly. Lightening and Fording are the leading causes of High Sierra backpacker deaths.

2015 HISTORY
This year's constant series of thunderstorms are tropically born, not local. These thunderstorms are the product of distant moisture-rich tropical air being driven North by air currents generated by the intense tropical thunderstorm activity that generated them in the first place. These moisture rich airs are then sucked across the Sierra by an aberrant series of stubborn unstable low pressure zones over California and the West Coast of the U.S.

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

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Alex Wierbinski

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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