[pct-l] snow conditions annually

[steve_peterson at sbcglobal.net (Steve Peterson)]

One way to get a feeling for it is to look at the dates the Yosemite rangers 
close Hwy 120 (which is usually the first major snowfall):

http://www.nps.gov/yose/trip/tioga.htm

  The earliest I noticed was last year's Oct 17 (when a *lot* of folks got 
stranded and had to be air lifted out of places like Rae Lakes)--most closing 
dates over the past 20 years were early Nov thru Dec, so by and large it looks 
like if you're out of there by mid-Oct you should be fine.

My own personal experience, starting in the 90s, has been that there hasn't been 
any hiker-stopping snowfall until mid-October, though there have been some snow 
"flurries" (an inch or two) in late Sept, early Oct. Last year I planned my JMT 
hike so as to be out of there by late Sept and I still got snowed on for a 
couple of days.

If it were me and I were hiking after Oct 1, I'd be sure to have others know 
exactly where I planned to be each night and call for help (assuming I couldn't) 
if there were major snow dumps before I finished the hike. Last year's rescuees 
spent several days/nights waiting to be rescued--the dump was so heavy (several 
feet) they couldn't move and just had to wait where they were. And IIRC, that 
storm wasn't predicted more than a day or two in advance of when it hit.

September is pretty safe; October, especially late October, is starting to get 
pretty "iffy". At least that's my take on it...

--Steve

Jeffrey Olson wrote:
>> Hey,
>>    If not, what is everyone's experience of hiking this area at this 
>> time? It's the best area I could figure and it's the only time I have 
>> available, but I understand it's not optimal.
> 
> _______________
> 
> In the mid-80s a friend and I hiked into the Emigrant Wilderness around 
> the 20th of September.  In the late afternoon the temperature dropped 
> and the wind picked up.  We camped near Huckleberry Lake and woke up to 
> a foot of heavy snow.  It snowed for three days, reaching about 18" in 
> thickness.  We spent four days in the tent, eyeing my dog as potential 
> Donner Party fodder, before hiking out when the storm broke.  Four days 
> of white out and snow, all at 37 degrees, so everything was soaked.
> 
> Be prepared!!!
> 
> Jeff Olson
> Santa Rosa, CA