Questions and reports related to Sierra Nevada current and forecast conditions, as well as general precautions and safety information. Trail conditions, fire/smoke reports, mosquito reports, weather and snow conditions, stream crossing information, and more.
California: Hardly any snow but not in drought again, yet
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PHILLIPS STATION — The grassy brown Sierra meadow where California's water managers gave the results of the winter's first manual snowpack measurements Wednesday told the story — the drought-prone state is off to another unusually dry start in its vital winter rain and snow season.
"We would like to have had more snow," Grant Davis, the head of California's Department of Water Resources, told news crews gathered in this mountain field, bare of all but a few crusty dots of old snow.
"It's early" in the snow season, said Frank Gehrke, head of the state's snow survey team. He stuck a metal pole into one of the few patches of snow at this site, measuring just over an inch (2.5 centimeters), or 3 percent of normal. "We're obviously hopeful there will be more snow the next time we come out here."
Climate change increasingly is changing the mountain snowfall equation, but historically up to 60 percent of Californians' water supply each year starts out as snowfall in the Sierras. That makes the state's manual and electronic snowpack measurements in these mountains crucial gauges of how much water cities and farms will get in the year ahead.
This winter, one month into the state's peak storm season, snowpack across the Sierras stood Wednesday at 24 percent of normal.
Hopefully the system impacting the Sierra this weekend will bring you some white stuff TJ.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
Russ, there is about 5"-6" on Red lake east of Carson Pass and folks have been skating and fishing for a few weeks now. Same, I'm pretty sure for Caples and Silver, maybe even thicker. But I don't like to fish those 'road siders'. So, Winnemucca is almost certainly safe. Probably Grass, Eagle and Granite too, and Round. Just need to dust off the auger and get motivated. Should go since Heavenly doesn't excite me too much right now.
Mav, I hope you're right, but the NWS has a high of 44* on Sat with a 40% chance of showers and Sun high of 50* and partly sunny. Not holding my breath for any white stuff.......
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Milton Friedman
Mav, I hope you're right, but the NWS has a high of 44* on Sat with a 40% chance of showers and Sun high of 50* and partly sunny. Not holding my breath for any white stuff.......
True, but the higher elevations should. What we need is a little of that Arctic weather their experiencing in the eastern US mixed in with one of these systems.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
NOAA has a snow website. According to thier models, based on imagery and on-ground snow measurments Jan. 7, the % area covered with snow and averger depth in inches is:
TahoeJeff wrote:Russ, there is about 5"-6" on Red lake east of Carson Pass and folks have been skating and fishing for a few weeks now. Same, I'm pretty sure for Caples and Silver, maybe even thicker. But I don't like to fish those 'road siders'. So, Winnemucca is almost certainly safe. Probably Grass, Eagle and Granite too, and Round. Just need to dust off the auger and get motivated. Should go since Heavenly doesn't excite me too much right now.
Mav, I hope you're right, but the NWS has a high of 44* on Sat with a 40% chance of showers and Sun high of 50* and partly sunny. Not holding my breath for any white stuff.......
