Plans to climb in the high Sierra this Memorial Day Weekend have been spoiled by an usually cool and unsettled weather pattern. This is especially untimely considering there hasn’t been a significant snow in several months! High elevation temps (over 10k feet) are under freezing all day with poor visibility and snow showers. The snow level is at 7,000 feet, perhaps lowering to 6,000 feet at times this weekend, and five inches is already on the ground at Mineral King in Sequoia National park (elevation 7,800 feet). Whiteout conditions with heavy snow have been reported at 9,000 feet in the eastern Sierra at Rock Creek. Oh well, at least this is good for snowpack/water worries. This pattern looks to persist through the weekend and into next week, a huge turnaround from the sweltering weather experienced only 5 days ago! Oh well, no excuses to not hit the books now…
Live image from Sherman Peak (9,909 ft) in the Southern Sierra (Sequoia National Forest). On Saturday, May 24th there was about a foot of new snow on the ground.
Leor Pantilat's Adventures