Sierra hikers often struggle to find accurate information on trail conditions and weather. Fewer and fewer wilderness areas employ rangers who actually travel in the backcountry and can give accurate information on water levels, snowpack, mosquitos, and expected weather. The following is Greg Harford's totally unscientific trail conditions forecast based on years of experience travelling in the Sierra Nevada.

SNOWPACK REPORT for January 2010

The first snowpack surveys are in and most have reported 100% or more snow depths.  The storms that have visited the Sierra are of the El Nino variety--wet snow and lots of it.  I predict many trailheads will not open until mid-July, and that high elevation trails and passes on the JMT won't be open to stock until August 1st.  Next update sometime in February.

Happy Trails,

Greg

Other weather resources for the Sierra Nevada:

Mammoth Weather - One of the more accurate weather forcasters for the Sierra Nevada high country.