Snow Levels - how to best monitor

[zonachris]

Hitting the JMT this summer and am concerned with the heavy and late snow in the Sierras. What is the best way from a few thousand miles away to monitor snow level's at the higher elevations? Thanks!

[KC]

You can obviously check local media, like www.sacbee.com or http://www.mariposagazette.com/ to get a sense of what the weather and snow conditions look like at a local level.

Various ski resorts and associations also have webcams that are a good tool to use to get a sense of snow cover. My favorite website is the following one:

http://www.sierravisionsstock.com/sierr ... a-webcams/

Here's a great website that collects the data from various sensors:

http://www.wunderground.com/StateSnowDepth.asp?state=CA

[bill-e-g]

The only one you need is:

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/current/snow/

Get familiar with the sensor locations and you'll get a good idea.

It's more snow than last year so unless you are going after mid-July
you can almost guarantee you'll see lots of snow.

[zonachris]

Thanks guys, that cdec site is perfect. Looks like we're at about 120% of average. Feel bad for the PCT folks - I'm not heading out till first week of Aug, so i should be ok.

[honsing]

This is the site I use to get an idea about snowpack. These sites give you the altitude and snow level in inches, day by day. Only problem is there is not enough of them.

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/Cal ... ornia.html

[KC]

This is the site I use to get an idea about snowpack. These sites give you the altitude and snow level in inches, day by day. Only problem is there is not enough of them.

That is what's annoying about the sensors. Additionally, what the sensor says and what you experience can be very different at times.

It's why I like using the webcams too. It's nice to get a visual of the conditions you'll be facing.

[cjoz]

Hitting the JMT this summer and am concerned with the heavy and late snow in the Sierras. What is the best way from a few thousand miles away to monitor snow level's at the higher elevations? Thanks!

Me too. July 12 from TM. Check out the PCT and JMT blogs (e.g., postholer.com) and also the Yahoo Groups JMT site. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/johnmuirtrail/

As people wend their way through earlier in the season, can pick up some intel.

[Budro]

Hey there, Im a newbie backpacker, and doing a 2 day trip in Mid July. Should I be worried about snowpack, and should I be carrying snowshoes or is that excessive. Thanks

[KC]

Hey there, Im a newbie backpacker, and doing a 2 day trip in Mid July. Should I be worried about snowpack, and should I be carrying snowshoes or is that excessive.

Likely excessive by that time of year, but you never know. It all depends on what you plan to do and where you plan to go. Just monitor some of the sites listed in this thread and you'll get a pretty good idea of conditions.