So another ~5ft of snow in the mountains today and tomorrow I hear. At what point does it start becoming plausible that places at reasonably low elevations like Bishop/Morgan pass will still be under snow in August? Or is that impossible?

tbaranski wrote:So another ~5ft of snow in the mountains today and tomorrow I hear. At what point does it start becoming plausible that places at reasonably low elevations like Bishop/Morgan pass will still be under snow in August? Or is that impossible?

This was 0.5km above Blue Lake, Sabrina Basin, on July 4th, 2005:

> At what point does it start becoming plausible that places at reasonably low elevations like Bishop/Morgan pass will still be under snow in August?

When it stops being one of the warmest years in recorded history.

Mount Goode on the right, taken on the way up to Bishop Pass, July 12, 2011:



Looking south from Mt. Dana on July 13, 2011:



Current CA snowpack chart, comparing this year, 2010-2011, and average (see http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/snowap ... art.action):

Thanks for the comparison with 2011. The pack companies had some cowboys shoveling snowbanks on the trail to Bishop pass on July 27 that year, so those used to the drought-stricken Sierra since then could be in for a surprise.

Summer 2011 was my first season in the Sierra and boy was I surprised to see so much snow! The last few years have been really disappointing.

Running out of places to put the snow up here

Does anyone have any guesses when TPR might open? I saw a way cool flyover video of the removal operation on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crECtMJQ3OA

Still pretty early, but there is an ungodly amount up there. Also, generally speaking, does Sonora Pass open before or after Tioga?

I hope the passes are open before July!

Sonora almost always opens before Tioga. Sonora East/West crews are currently 7 miles from meeting. Tioga is at least a month out, maybe as much as two.

http://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/i ... tioga-pass


And the stuff at 7k I posted above is completely melted out

Interested in doing Lone Pine Peak NW slope the first week of June. I'm betting there's good snow in the chute but am wondering if I'll have a hard time getting up to Grass Lake in the first place.

Odds of 120 being open on June 1st? Or 108?

120 no way. 108 50/50.

Thanks @Foxtail ... that's about what I figured. Appreciate the beta

108 will be open for sure by then

Last update had Sonora Pass East/West plow crews 3 miles from meeting