Snowplant, below Round Lake, Meiss Roadless Country Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Your Backpacking Guide to the High Sierras Sprouting Paper Plant
View Northeast from Ebbetts Peak.
View Northeast from Ebbetts Peak.

 

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Ebbetts Pass
and
Lake Alpine

Highway 4 Corridor
Weather Forecasts, Reports, Road Conditions and
Information

Mokelumne
Wilderness
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Wilderness
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All
Sierra

Weather
Northern
Sierra
Weather
Central
Sierra

Weather
Southern Sierra
Weather

North

Carson Pass
Region Weather

South

Sonora Pass Region Weather

Mokelumne Wilderness
Map
Carson Iceberg Wilderness
Map

Ebbetts Pass & Lake Alpine
Weather Resources

 

Location
This weather page is concerned with providing weather information to hikers and backpackers on or near the Pacific Crest and Tahoe to Yosemite Trail routes through Highway 4 at Ebbetts Pass and Lake Alpine.

Range
Thus this page gives good insights about the weather to our North in the Southern end of the Mokelumne Wilderness and to our South in the Northern end of the Carson Iceberg Wilderness.

Besides the weather information we will find links to the maps, miles, resupply, permit, and elevations information for the PCT and TYT here, and to our North and South.

Let's get out and go backpacking.

 
   
   

Arrrg...Pages under Construction...

Ouick References

Map
NORTH
Map
SOUTH

Mokelumne Wilderness
Region
MAP

Carson Iceberg Wilderness
Region
MAP

 

All High Sierra Reporting Stations

Smoke Resources

 

Sonora Pass
Region Weather


Ebbetts Pass Map
               Lake Alpine Map

Ebbetts Pass & Lake Alpine
Weather Page
Index
Forecasts
&
Road Conditions
Real-Time Stations
&
Snow Sensors
Radar
&
Satellite

Snow Cover, Probability,
and
Predictions

Trail Guide
Information

7 Day Rain Forecasts
&
Current Satellite View

Forecasts, Road Conditions,
and
Web Cams

West Slope Sierra Nevada Region Forecast

West Central Sierra Nevada Weather Forecast.

Road Conditions

CalTrans

Highway 4

Highway 88

Western Sierra Flank Highways

 

 

Cal Trans Road Conditions Search

 

Cal Trans Road Conditions Phone Line

1-800.427.7623

Eyes on Lake Alpine

Web Cams

Bear Valley

 

California Webcams
Add All Webcam Layers to Smoke Sensor Coverage

 

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NWS:
7 Day
Ebbetts Pass Weather Forecast
NWS:
7 Day
Lake Alpine Weather Forecast

 


7 Day Graphical Interface Forecast
National Weather Service Graphical Weather Observation and Forecast Tool for High Sierra Backpackers.

Use this tool to investigate all aspects of the 7 Day High Sierra Forecasts.

South Sierra Graphical Forecast Tool ALL HIGH SIERRA WEATHER RESOURCES

Sierra Nevada Mountain Backpacker
Rain, Precipitation, and Local Satellite Views
Weather Imagery

Current to 7 Day High Sierra Precipitation ForecastSeven day precipitation forecast covering the Sierra Nevada for backpackers, fishermen, hunters and hikers.

Current Sierra Nevada Satellite Imagery High Sierra satellite views for backpackers, hiker, hunters, and fishermen.

All Precip Predictions & Models All Satellites

Northern Sierra Nevada
Radar and Satellite
Weather Imagery

Northern
Sierra Nevada Radar Imagery

Link to Northern Sierra Nevada Weather Radar out of Reno.

North
Pacific and Sierra Nevada Satellite Imagery

Link to Weather Sattelite Imagery.

National Radar Map All Satellites

Reporting Stations
and
Snow Sensors
near
Ebbetts Pass and Lake Alpine

Mokelumne Wilderness
Region
MAP

Carson Iceberg Wilderness
Region
MAP

All High Sierra Reporting Stations

Smoke Resources

 

Linked Ground Reporting Station MAPS

Ebbetts Pass Area Station List

The first link below bring you to an expansive map of MesoWest Northern California Real-Time reporting stations.

MesoWest Northern California

North California Mesowest real time weather reporting stations.

State of California
Sierra Nevada Ground Reporting Stations

California Department of Water Resources real time weather reporting stations.

Snotel
All Federal
Snotel Stations
in
California

Federal Reporting Station Locations

West of Ebbetts Pass

Bear Valley
(3 miles West of Lake Alpine)

Stanislaus Meadow

East of Ebbetts Pass

Ebbetts Pass

Monitor Pass

Winter Joy

NWS
Winter Weather Forecasts

National Snow and Ice Data Center

Weather Map

Locate Stations near Ebbetts Pass on this
30 min Topo

 

All Precip Predictions & Models

 

Hiking Maps
North Map
Mokelumne Wilderness Backpacking Map

South Map
Carson Iceberg Wilderness Backpacking Map

Click the Red and Black dots on the maps above for Trail Guide and Detailed Map information for the clicked positions, respectively.

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Calfornia State Stations

Focus: Mokelumne River to Spicer Meadow along the TYT. Blue Lakes to Wolf Creek on the PCT.

Note: If the California State pages are hanging up refer to the federal MesoWest and Snotel resources. California has problems.

All Ebbetts Pass reporting stations laid out on a hiking map. NAD 27.

#1> Ebbetts Pass (Active state of ca sensor)

Location: High point on Highway 4. Topo Map.

Site Information and Reports from Ebbetts Pass

Daily Report from Ebbetts Pass

Latitude: 38.561000°N

Longitude: 119.808000°W

Elevation: 8700 feet.

 

#2> Wet Meadows Lake (inactive state of ca sensor)

Location: Between Blue Lakes and Ebbetts Pass. See Topo Map.

Site Information and Reports from

Monthly Report from Wet Meadows Lake

Latitude: 38.610000°N

Longitude: 119.862000°W

Elevation: 8100 feet

 

#3> Pacific Valley (South of Pacific Grade Summit)

Location: Between Ebbetts Pass and Lake Alpine along Highway 4 on the West flank of the Sierra Crest.
Topo Map.

Site Information and Reports from Pacific Valley

Monthly Report from Pacific Valley

Latitude: 38.6824°N

Longitude: -119.9597°W

Elevation: 8017' ft

 

 

#4> Stanislaus Meadow (state of ca sensor)

Location: West of Pacific Grade Summit on Highway 4 along North Fork Stanislaus River.
Topo Map.

Site Information and Reports from Stanilaus Meadow

Daily Report from Stanislaus Meadow

Latitude: 38.505500°N

Longitude: 119.937300°W

Elevation: 7750' ft

 

#5> Lake Alpine (inactive state of Ca sensor)

Location: Highway Four, 15 miles West of Ebbetts Pass.
Topo Map.

Site Information and Reports from Lake Alpine

Monthly Report from Lake Alpine

Latitude: 38.6780°N

Longitude: -120.1180°W

Elevation: 7100' ft

Real Time Ground Reporting Stations Planning our gear selection for our hike South from Lake Tahoe we have referred to a reasonable selection of real-time ground reporting stations that inform about temp, wind, rain, snow, and humidity. This real-time data gives us both current and historical knowledge of the range of temperatures we can expect to experience at various points down the trail.

This information establishes our gear selection range.

 

Northern Sierra Nevada
Radar and Satellite
Weather Imagery

Northern Sierra Nevada Radar Imagery

Link to Northern Sierra Nevada Weather Radar out of Reno.

North Pacific and Sierra Nevada Satellite Imagery

Link to Weather Sattelite Imagery.

National Radar Map

All Satellites

List of NWS Satellites              List of NOAA Satelittes

Fall-Winter-Spring
Weather Resources

snow cover

snow probability

weather & temp predictions

Snow cover on the Sierra Nevada graphical interface.

Sierra Nevada snow storm and snowfall probability forecasts.

Predictions of Sierra Nevada Weather Conditions.
Fall, Winter, and Spring. Fall, Winter, and Spring. Good for Summer hot & cold trends.

Trail Guide Information

comments

This Weather Page, like the trail guide it is a part of, covers the High Sierra Trails across Highway 4 along the West the Sierra Crestline through Ebbetts Pass and along the Western Flank through Lake Alpine.Therefore the trail guide split into two branches upon departing the Lake Tahoe Basin, and continues South along both the Tahoe to Yosemit and Pacific Crest Trails across Highway 4. The Pacific Crest Trail hikes through Ebbetts Pass along the Eastern fringe of the Sierra Nevada Crestline South to Sonora Pass. The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail emerges from its trek through the deep Summit City Canyon and the even deeper canyon of the North Fork of the Mokelumne by hiking over the top of Mount Reba and down to Lake Alpine.

Permits

The National Forest Boundary runs North and South along the Sierra Crest across Ebbetts Pass. South of Ebbetts Pass we continue hiking in the Toiyabe National Forest, but now we have transitioned from the Toiyabe administered Mokelumne Wilderness into the Carson Iceberg.From Lake Alpine we also hike North or South into the Mokelumne or Carson Iceberg Wilderness, respectively, but the Western sections of these Wilderness areas are administered by the Stanislaus National Forest.

National Forests
at
Ebbetts Pass and Highway 4

West Slope: Stanislaus National Forest.

East Slope: Toiyabe National Forest.

Wilderness South of Highway 4

West Flank of Carson Iceberg Wilderness along the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail, Stanislaus National Forest. East Flank of Carson Iceberg Wilderness along the Pacific Crest Trail, Toiyabe National Forest.

Wilderness North of Highway 4

West flank of Mokelumne Wilderness in the Stanislaus National Forest. East flank of Mokelumne Wilderness in the Toiyabe National Forest.

Trail Guide Section Index

Ebbetts Pass Region Hiking Map                Lake Alpine Region Hiking Map                      Ebbetts Pass Region Weather Map

Backpacking Maps

Pacific Crest Trail Index Tahoe to Yosemite Index

Miles & Elevations

Pacific Crest Trail to Sonora Pass

Tahoe to Yosemite to Saint Marys Pass

Trail Guide Pages
Click Red Dots

Ebbetts Pass to Sonora Pass

Lake Alpine to Saint Marys Pass

Ebbetts Pass reporting stations laid out on a hiking map.

North: Carson Pass Weather                  Ebbetts Pass Trail Map                    South: Sonora Pass Weather Information

Be Ready for the Range: Basic Facts Basic High Sierra Weather Resources for the Backpacker

The Sierra Crest is noted for having the capacity to produce four seasons of weather during a single Summer Day.

Rain, snow, hail, fog, lightening, and a bit of sunshine can all happen in quick sequence.

The High Sierras are noted for rapid changes in weather and temperature, and the sudden appearance of harsh weather trends. You may experience anything from intense heat to bitterly cold Summer snow storms. Or you may not.

In any case, weather must be considered and proper gear preparations made to deal with the range of weather BEFORE entering the High Sierras.

Long Distance Backpackers who were on the High Sierra Crest in early August of 2009 experienced just such a series of Summer Snow Storms.

Temperatures dropped to the high teens and low twenties, snow and hail fell which partially obscured the trails, and all of those who entertained the misconception that the Sierras only have fine weather during the Summertime were bitterly disappointed. Luckily for the many backcountry travelers who were not properly prepared, those storms blew apart, rather than consolidated and deepened.

Weather considerations should guide your gear selection.

Weather Preparations
for
Backcountry Travel

All Seasons

All Seasons
1st:

Tahoe to Whitney
Complete
High Sierra Weather Resources

Always check the National Weather Service Satellites, Maps, and Forecasts

The NWS Satellites will give you an orbital view of potiential storm activity far off the coast of California. Combined with the NWS Maps and Forecasts, you can anticipate weather. Note: especially check the 28km infrared and water vapor animations.

Check the National Weather Service Maps

NWS Maps Note: Especially Check the 24 to 48 Hour fronts and Precipitation Maps.

Consult the National Weather Service Home Page

The National Weather Service Home Page displays large and small scale weather warnings which may pertain to your High Sierra backpacking plans.

 

 

Backpacker Forums

Have a great Sierra Nevada route or trip to relate?

Post it on
TahoetoWhitney.Org

Anyone can post up comments and questions in existing topics posted on the High Sierra Backpacking Trails Forums or in the High Sierra Backpacking Topics Forums.
But only members can post up new topics, and can post images and maps with their posts.

Become a Member

If you have comments about weather conditions at Ebbetts Pass and the Highway 4 Corridor, this is the place to post up:
Ebbetts Pass Weather Forum

North: Carson Pass Weather         Ebbetts Pass Trail Map         South: Sonora Pass Weather Information

Trailhead
Contact
Alex Wierbinski

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Frosted Backpack

Backpacking Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney

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

Snug tent after Snow Storm
© Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Crown Jewel of the Pacific Crest Trail