High Sierra Topix

I had a trip planned for next weekend in the yosemite high country, but the forecasts of a slight chance of snow showers seem to suggest I should skip it this time around. Is snow typical even in the 9000-11k ft range this early in october?

yes, it can certainly snow in october.
i got blasted last year in the big arroyo.
i could have used some skiis to get out over kaweah gap afterwards, as it snowed 2 feet at the top - that was mid-october.... but that was a hundred year storm too.

more than likely, early fall storms give dustings.
but do check the weather report and see if there's lots of moisture associated with it.

example: the one last year dumped something like 24 inches of rain in santa cruz - which translated into 8 or 9 inches of rain/sleet where i had my butt parked at 9000+ feet - all night long.

I have gotten dumped on in Oct by 2 feet of snow up at Emerald Lake out of
Lake Sabrina several years back, so yes it can get quite bad, especially if you are
not prepared for the worst case scenario when a storm is forecasted top hit while
you are out.

Well, the local Mammoth paper (I think it was the Mammoth Times) that came out a week or two ago was "bragging" about a couple of October storms we had a couple of years ago (might have even been '06, when we got 85 inches.
I know there have been more than many times when we have had enough snow to ski in October.

It's been some years, but I've gotten seriously snowed on at Pine Lake on July 4th, and at southern Yosemite on Labor Day weekend, and a dusting once in August at 4th Recess Lake . Earliest I remember was 2nd week of June at Camp Nelson during USFS work training. Oh, yeah, it can happen anytime. Be careful out there, mountaineers!

I've been snowed on every month of the year in the Sierra.

The following photo was taken on the morning of October 17, 2004 near Barret Lake. The previous day it was 65 and sunny on the summit of North Pal. Just sayin'...

This was Sonora Pass, Labor Day weekend Sept 2, 2000... it was raining as I drove across the central valley, then turned to snow ....

Brrrr.....
Oh, those photos!
I was passing by Evolution Lake at the beginning of August one year and caught out in the open in a fast moving snowstorm without time, or a place big enough to set up the tent. My girlfiend and I nearly got hypothermia.
That's why I never go anywhere back there anymore without a 4 season tent. Set up at the first sign of trouble in the sky.

... and this one was on October 15th.... so a couple weeks later, but a point of reference... at Barker Pass (above Tahoe) a few years ago. It was really blowing all night ... a tough night for sleeping...

Looks like the non-snow season could be just about over

Given we're talking about "this week", here's a pointer to a webcam looking west out of Bishop. Um, Not a good time to be up there unless donned in rain gear and a 4 season tent; maybe skiis..

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