[pct-l] trail conditions

[William Skaggs]

An early overview of snow conditions, for anyone who might be interested:

Snow levels in the high Sierra are at about 50% of normal for this time
of year, and the next couple of weeks are looking dryish.  With a mild
El Nino and the storm track currently shifted northward, the chances are
pretty high that levels will still be low by April 1, when maximum snow
depth typically comes.  (The bulk of snowfall is usually in Jan-March.)
The caveat, of course, is that 2-3 strong storm systems could make a
big difference.  Even so, things are unlikely to be anything like the
last couple of years (150% of normal last year, over 200% the year before).

Southern California is also below normal.  Northern California is pretty
close to normal.  The North Cascades, as I understand it, are way above
normal.  So, it looks tentatively like a good year for getting an early 
start going northbound, and a bad year for going southbound.

  -- Bill
 

 
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