snowpack on mt san jacinto

PCT Mile 181.8 (9070 ft): 5 inches (was 6 inches on 9th), Deer Springs Trail at top of Marion Mountain Trail (8700 ft): 4-5 inches, Tahquitz Peak (north side trail, 8700 ft): 3-4 inches, drifted to six [measured 11th November], Tahquitz Peak (south side trail, 8500-8700 ft): 2 inches [measured 11th November], Long Valley (8600 ft): was 2-3 inches on 9th, Strawberry Junction (8100 ft): 1-2 inches (photo below), Saddle Junction/approx. The freeze level will initially be above 10,000 ft, ultimately only falling to about 9000 ft, so many of the main access trails to the high country may get no new snowfall. I hope to provide more information on the high country situation on Sunday 26th, depending on conditions/weather. 24F-4C . Some hikers may continue to find spikes useful for some of the minor icy patches but they are no longer required. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. They are not currently recommended for traversing moderate angle slopes above 9000 ft that have challenging ice underlying shallow powder. One thing Holden was sure of, however, is that Sundays avalanche appeared to be no joke. Devils Slide Trail has a traveled and largely compacted track to Saddle Junction in place already. $30.00. from. UPDATE Tuesday 13th December 2022: This morning Anabel and I broke trail up South Ridge Road and South Ridge Trail to Old Lookout Flat (7600 ft). Cloud cover started to envelop the mountains early this morning. We have had an excellent start to 2023 regarding the water and snow situations in the San Jacinto mountains. KPBS. San Jacinto hike from the tram was such an epic way to hike this mountain in the snow! Trails down to 5000 ft elevation currently have patchy shallow snow cover. In fact on my hike to San Jacinto Peak on Monday 13th through steady morning snow I could barely tell the difference in snow depths from the previous week, as the few inches of fresh snow had almost exactly replaced the few inches of depth that had melted over the previous week. At the Peak on Friday 6th January 2023 at 0930 the air temperature was 25.7F (-4C), with a windchill temperature of 14.7F (-10C), 44% relative humidity, and a chilly NNW breeze sustained at 5 mph gusting to 10.6 mph. PCT Mile 181.8 (9070 ft): 1-2 inches (was 6 inches on 9th), Deer Springs Trail at top of Marion Mountain Trail (8700 ft): 1-3 inches, Tahquitz Peak (north side trail, 8700 ft): 1-2 inches [measured 19th November], Tahquitz Peak (south side trail, 8500-8700 ft): 0-1 inch [measured 19th November], Long Valley (8600 ft): 0-1 inch (was 2-3 inches on 9th), Strawberry Junction (8100 ft): 0-1 inch (was approx. There are plenty of places in local mountains with snow, but you also need to check on driving requirements (are chains required?) I switched to crampons and then finished breaking the Peak Trail through to near Miller Peak (photo below). The Mammoth Mountain ski resort has received 41.5 feet (12.6 meters) of snow since October and could be on a path to break the all-time snow season record of 55.7 feet (17 meters) set in 2010-2011. Forecast precipitation is currently only a dusting of 1-2 inches of snow at upper elevations, but combined with strong winds this will be sufficient to complicate route-finding. Snow, weather, and trail conditions for the San Jacinto mountains. Snowshoes are not currently advisable on these slopes due to the angle of the underlying ice. On cold mornings the trail will be icy and some hikers will find spikes are useful, however on warmer days and afternoons spikes are not required. Note that the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has announced they will be closed tomorrow, Saturday 25th, due to extreme weather. As mentioned last week, current trail conditions are oddly reminiscent of spring, with snow distribution and iciness typical of April rather than December. Final totals for Idyllwild for the three day storm event were 6.5 inches of snow, plus an impressive 5.06 inches of rain. A rapidly warming montane climate, with changes especially striking at high elevation, is exacerbating all of these issues. On Friday 20th I broke South Ridge Trail to Tahquitz Peak. Conditions remain very unsettled for the first week of January. A winter storm will continue to move through California today then into the Four Corners on Sunday bringing significant mountain snow, strong winds with blizzard conditions, lower elevation snow where snow is unusual, and well below normal temperatures. the snowfall predicted in some forecasts. Note however that snow depth is rarely indicative of the challenge (or otherwise) of a given trail. I barebooted to 9000 ft, then snowshoed the rest of the way through lovely light powder. Note that averages are given; due to strong winds accompanying storms there is extensive drifting. That said, it has just started gently snowing in both locations, so storm totals may increase slightly over the next couple of hours. They are strongly recommended on certain moderate and higher angle slopes, at a minimum on the Peak Trail above Wellman Divide, the Wellman Trail, Deer Springs Trail above Little Round Valley, and uppermost South Ridge Trail, and on both flanks but critically on the north face of Tahquitz Peak. However there was a lot of rime ice starting to melt and fall from trees on upper Spitler (photos below). There were no visible hiker tracks on Marion Mountain, Seven Pines, or Fuller Ridge trails, as of 15th February. Average snow depth around the peak was 24-25 inches, but heavily drifted. Strap on your snowshoes and head into the stillness of the winter forest at the top of the Tram. However excellent well-traveled and compacted tracks are now in place for almost all major trails (details below). Most days will be at least partly cloudy. This may change after the weekend. If the Report is useful to you in any way, please consider using this link to the Donate page. These impacts are especially striking in Southern California mountains, where the sun is relatively potent even in midwinter and where even on the coldest days temperatures at mid elevations may fluctuate either side of freezing. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. Snowshoes are not advisable due to the angle of the icy snow. We removed nine treefall hazards on 18th November and the trail is now completely clear again, bringing to 56 the number of trees we have removed from this trail since mid 2021. Firstly because it is really unsafe, that is a busy and winding mountain road, not remotely a route designed for pedestrians. This trail will become significantly more treacherous as it undergoes freeze/thaw cycles and compaction over the next week or two. Indeed the final third of December may be one of the warmest on record for the holiday period. Spikes at least are required, but preferably crampons, both best used with an ice axe, specifically for the uppermost switchbacks, but traction is useful for descending much lower also. That said, the cumulative effect of multiple systems is helpful to our moisture situation, and Tuesday 10th January saw the sixth storm in just over two weeks in the San Jacinto mountains (a timeline of the recent sequence of storms is available here in the previous Report). Winter Hiking: Dangerous conditions exist when snow and ice conditions are present. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 19th December (east side) or 15th December (west side) 2022 are as follows. Although some treefall hazards from Red Tahquitz to Antsell Rock (PCT Miles 172.5-175) were cleared in June 2021 prior to the rockslide removal work, the situation has badly deteriorated since. While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to cover costs. Black Mountain Road also closed on 7th November to vehicle traffic at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243. BEST SELLER. The system averaged colder than the November storm, with more snow at lower elevations, although it was still notable that it initially rained as high as 9500 ft on the morning of Sunday 11th. Above Little Round Valley there are at least half-a-dozen tracks ascending toward San Jacinto Peak, none of which entirely accurately follow the established trail route. Feb. 28, 2023 6:07 AM PT. The freeze level again started very high at >9000 ft, with light rain falling in Long Valley (8600 ft) all morning. However, relatively well-traveled tracks are now in place for most major trails (details below). Further light snow is expected starting this evening, followed by much heavier snow overnight on 28th February-1st March. The high country was above the weather most of the night, and added an inch of fresh snow at most, however there were 2.25 inches in Idyllwild, and also roughly the same fresh snow depth at Humber Park and Saddle Junction. On the plus side, as I had hoped, the cold meant that the exposed snow slopes from 9200 ft and above were largely firm and icy (example photo below). On 23rd January I saw posthole tracks from Saddle Junction that head down the start of the Caramba Trail, the start of Willow Creek Trail, and following the PCT southbound toward Chinquapin Flat, but I have no further details at this time. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures below freezing in the high country, and far below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). UPDATE Thursday 29th December: I have uploaded a video from my hike to San Jacinto Peak this morning (available here on YouTube) where I enjoyed a minor snow storm. Seven Pines Trail has one set of hiker tracks through the snow since the storm in early November 2022. PALM SPRINGS, Calif. As if Southern California blizzard warnings and snow-dusted yuccas werent already surreal enough, some eagle-eyed interstate travelers saw another rare sight Sunday that mightve left them wondering if theyd made a wrong turn into the Rockies. Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain, and Fern Basin are closed for the season. Snowshoes can be used for ascending the highest peaks, but with considerable caution. The cold icy early morning snow had the perfect bite for good boots with excellent soles. There was a further 0.5 inch dusting of snow above 8000 ft on Thursday 29th (as I describe in this video). With the light fresh powder the previous evening, accompanied by very strong winds causing extensive drifting, prior tracks, including my own from 13th, had been totally erased everywhere so I was again breaking trail the entire way. The storm was relatively mild, as might be expected from an atmospheric river system pulling moisture in from subtropical latitudes at this relatively early season, and as a result the freeze level was relatively high for most of the time that precipitation fell. Most people hike 2-3 hours to the tram for a ride down off the mountain. However they are not required, depending on your comfort level with postholing in drifted snow of moderate depth. Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 45 inches (30 inches snow in latest storms) but heavily drifted here, Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 45-48 inches (about 30-32 inches snow in latest storms), Long Valley (8600 ft): 24 inches (16 inches in latest storms), Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 21 inches (13 inches snow in latest storms), Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 5-6 inches (all from latest storms, four inches of snow on top of ice). Snow accumulation was initially slow but has been an inch per hour recently, with 2.5 inch added at San Jacinto Peak since late this morning (on top of about 24 inches remaining from prior storms). It continued to rain heavily overnight at mid elevations everywhere below about 7000 ft. Idyllwild at 5550 ft elevation recorded an impressive 4.01 inches of rain in the 24 hour period up to 0700 this morning. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 0-1 inch (was 3 inches on 9th). Seven Pines Trail has no sign of any hiker traffic since the snow on 12th. It turned to occasional light snow showers at about 1430, with just 0.5 inch settled so far. Forecasts the expected snowfall amount, snow accumulation, and with snowfall radar. The forecasts remain wildly inconsistent for the potential storms next week but it is looking increasingly likely that the systems will miss us to the north.]. Moderate snow has continued for the past few hours at San Jacinto Peak, with a storm total so far of about 7.5 inches. Cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. Hikers will encounter new treefall hazards due to the enormous weight of ice from freezing rain associated with the early November storm, followed by recent Santa Ana winds, and since the passage of Tropical Storm Kay in September. Trails down to 4000 ft elevation currently have shallow snow cover. Spitler Peak Trail (surveyed 18th November) is clear of snow. Each of them was memorable. South Ridge Trail has been broken from the top of South Ridge Road to Tahquitz Peak with a simple posthole track. Although the snow is not currently particularly deep (10-12 inches) it is heavily drifted and has an ice layer underneath the fresh powder. Despite warmer temperatures on some days, hikers should be prepared for temperatures near freezing in the high country, and generally below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). Unusually for me, I followed the entire route of the established trail down to Little Round Valley. 68mi . Three significant trees are now down across the trail, including two major hazards (one new in gale force winds on 26th January) that are not easy to hike around both roughly halfway along the trail. The East Ridge Trail (from near Miller Peak to San Jacinto Peak) has a handful of tracks through the continuous snow, though none (including mine) accurately follow the trail route. Waterproof or highly water resistant footwear is recommended. . In the week since the last storm we have surveyed trails around Tahquitz Peak twice, plus South Ridge, Spitler Peak, and Marion Mountain trails, among others. Spikes could potentially be used to ascend to the highest peaks at this time, although crampons are certainly safer for traversing (e.g., see photo below). Nevertheless Seven Pines remains a genuine wilderness trail unlike the relatively wide, bare, and obvious routes of, for example, Devils Slide or Marion Mountain trails. It does not accurately follow the established trail route in significant sections but is navigable. Three significant trees are now down across the trail, including two major hazards (one new in gale force winds on 26th) that are not easy to hike around both roughly halfway along the trail. Top Stories. Devils Slide Trail has an excellent compacted track to follow to Saddle Junction. There are many ways to enjoy the snow in the San Jacinto Mountains, but snowshoeing is perhaps one of the most exhilarating. . Currently spikes at a minimum, and ideally crampons, with an ice axe (and knowledge of how to use it), are strongly recommended. South Ridge Road itself is now functionally clear of ice and snow. As of this morning, I saw no other broken tracks on the high country trail system. The latest Trail Report (linked here) mentions the increasing avalanche risk with recent heavy wind-loaded snowfall on top of the icy pre-existing snow, and how avalanches occur every winter on the north face (contrary to erroneous information in recent local media stories). Two or more inches of rain are likely for mid elevations (e.g., Idyllwild) on 27th-30th, with several inches of snow possible above 10,000 ft elevation on various days over the next week or so. If there are Road Closed signs further down as was often the case last winter especially at weekends and holiday periods after fresh snowfall then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, mixed with slushy and icy patches. Indeed it rained as high as San Jacinto Peak multiple times on 7th and 8th November. UPDATE 17th November 2022: as predicted, and even as melting proceeds steadily, trails are getting increasing icy due to daily freeze/thaw cycles, and spikes are recommended throughout the trail system above about 7000 ft. On my hike to San Jacinto Peak this morning, again I did not need spikes to ascend, but they were invaluable for descending all the way down to upper Devils Slide Trail. The rainfall totals at mid elevations were unremarkable, especially compared to those of the storm in early November (discussed here). 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