34 minutes ago. There are plenty of places in local mountains with snow, but you also need to check on driving requirements (are chains required?) Although the snow is not currently particularly deep (10-12 inches) it is heavily drifted and has an ice layer underneath the fresh powder. My 2022 survey counted 97 trees down on this 2.1 miles of trail. San Jacinto Peak is the highest peak in the California State Park system, and the second-highest point in southern California. Current known total accumulations are 4 inches in Idyllwild, 6 inches at Devils Slide Trailhead, 9 inches at Saddle Junction, and 8 inches at Long Valley. Regardless, always be prepared for snowy/icy conditions. Seven Pines Trail has not been traveled since the storm in mid December, at least not in its uppermost section, and there is no track to follow through the snow. Black Mountain Road also closed on 7th November to vehicle traffic at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243. It turned to occasional light snow at about 1500, but less than 0.5 inch has accumulated so far (at 5550 ft). This is a brief summary of conditions following the second Pacific storm, and the first significant snowfall, of winter 2022/23 to impact the San Jacinto mountains. There is a very well-traveled track from Saddle Junction to Tahquitz Peak (multiple photos below). Recent hikes have included the high peaks (>10,000 ft) 2-4 times per week by various routes, Tahquitz Peak and area 1-2 times per week, South Ridge, Spitler Peak, and Marion Mountain trails, and May Valley Road and Indian Mountain Truck Trail. Note that averages are given; due to strong winds accompanying storms there is extensive drifting. There is a well-traveled track on light icy snow from Long Valley/Tram to Wellman Divide. Western side of the range is holding more snow than eastern side. A second forecast storm system may bring some light precipitation to the San Jacinto mountains on 2nd December, and possibly again on 4th-5th. Note that averages are given; due to strong winds and light powder there is extreme drifting. There is a well-traveled track on continuous light icy snow from Long Valley/Tram to Wellman Divide. By 1st February there was a somewhat meandering snowshoe track from Round Valley (and presumably Long Valley) up to San Jacinto Peak, ultimately using the East Ridge route from near Miller Peak, that generally followed lower angle terrain and avoided the traversing slopes of the Peak Trail. Initially a cold system that brought 2-3 inches of snow to elevations between 4500 ft and 9000 ft. A short video summary of what we found when we broke trail up Devils Slide that morning. I snowshoed the rest of the way to San Jacinto Peak through lovely light powder. Such unseasonably warm temperatures mean that snow melt will be rapid everywhere while in many areas freeze/thaw cycles will result in icy trails in the early mornings above about 7000 ft. By late morning snow conditions will become poor for hiking (soft, slippery, and even slushy) especially in sun-exposed areas. Marion Mountain Trail has a very well-defined track to follow. Spikes tend to be especially useful for descending trails. They are now invaluable on heavily traveled, compacted, icy tracks (before they clear of snow in the coming weeks) such as Devils Slide, Ernie Maxwell, and Deer Springs trails, at least, especially mornings when conditions tend to be most icy, and for descending. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures generally below freezing in the high country, and well below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). The initial freeze level was at about 9000 ft but has already dropped. Spikes are currently recommended throughout the trail system above about 7500 ft, potentially lower in places. Skyline Trail has a good track to follow through light icy snow above about 7200 ft (the Traverse to Grubbs Notch). Across the three storm days, locations above about 9000 ft all generally added at least two feet of snow (admixed with layers of freezing rain in areas up to 10,000 ft). PCT Mile 181.8 (9070 ft): 5.5 inches (storm total 5 inches), Marion Mountain Trail at junction with PCT (8700 ft): 6 inches (storm total 5 inches), Long Valley (8600 ft): 5-6 inches (storm total 5 inches) [thanks to Kyle Eubanks for this measurement], Strawberry Junction (8100 ft): 3-4 inches (storm total 3-4 inches), Saddle Junction/approx. Both of these storms are expected to be relatively mild at first with rain a possibility up to 9000 ft before freeze levels drop down to 6000 ft. I barebooted to 9000 ft, then snowshoed the rest of the way through lovely light powder. He has just reported storm snow totals of 5-6 inches at Wellman Divide (9700 ft) and four inches in both Round and Long valleys from his descending hike. Snow Valley Mountain Resort. Fresh snow at San Jacinto Peak now measures 3-4 inches, snow in Long Valley (8600 ft) at three inches, and rainfall in Idyllwild since 0700 this morning at 0.6 inch. Although I made a concerted effort to put in a track as faithful to the trail routes as conditions permitted, wild winds and spindrift powder on all the exposed slopes rendered that fairly pointless. Conditions are currently excellent for avalanches on specific terrain in the San Jacinto high country, as proven below. Long Valley (8600 ft) has received about 1.0 inch fresh snow this morning. This makes for less than perfect snowshoeing conditions, but still preferable to postholing. In addition to the flood watch, a wind advisory is in effect across Riverside County from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Currently the USFS gate at Humber Park is closed. This rain produces huge masses of ice in the trees, including chunks as large as a small microwave weighing 40-80 lb, which then dislodge as soon as direct sunlight warms the trees. from. Spikes will become increasingly useful over the next few days and weeks as established trails become consolidated by hiker traffic and undergo freeze-thaw cycles. Note however that snow depth itself is rarely indicative of the difficulty (or otherwise) of hiking a particular route. If camping in the Mt. While we have to be grateful for any precipitation received given our rapidly warming mountain climate, it was not the significant snow-producing storm that had been generally forecast in recent days. 432. Suitable waterproof footwear is strongly recommended. I stubbornly kept on my snowshoes to 10,100 ft elevation on the Peak Trail, despite some lateral slipping as I traversed the icy snow slopes. Vehicles not parked in these spaces have been ticketed and/or towed. With the light dusting of fresh powder overnight, accompanied by strong winds causing extensive drifting, prior tracks had been partially obscured everywhere and almost completely erased above 8900 ft so I was again breaking trail in the high country. Note that snow depth itself is rarely indicative of the difficulty (or otherwise) of hiking a particular track or trail. Every year seems to have its unique challenges and 2022 has been no exception. "Here's the thing, who would realize it was an avalanche?" San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 6 inches (was 12 inches on 9th), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 5-6 inches (was approx. On 13th, Idyllwild received 2.75 inches, and I measured five inches at San Jacinto Peak, with 3-4 inches at locations in between. PCT Mile 181.8 (9070 ft): 6 inches, Long Valley (8600 ft): 2-3 inches [special thanks to Kyle Eubanks for this measurement], Saddle Junction/approx. Precipitation on Sunday 4th into the early hours of Monday 5th is significantly less likely in the latest models. However they will remain very valuable for off-trail travel at elevations above about 9000 ft (potentially lower in places) for the next week or two at least. Underlying the fresh snow is in places a thin layer of ice and/or icy snow remaining from the previous storm in early November. As described above, crampons with hiking poles and an ice axe, depending on terrain are currently very useful everywhere above about 9000 ft. Most days will be at least partly cloudy. While the shallow icy snow should melt steadily over the next few days, 4WD/AWD vehicles are recommended. Altitudes are approximate. At the on Monday 13th February 2023 at 1010 the air temperature was 16.8F (-10C), with a windchill temperature of -1.3F (-19C), 95% relative humidity, and a wintry NNW wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 13.2 mph. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak [checked 20th January] has no steps to follow through the steeply angled ice with overlying deep snow. Storm total at San Jacinto Peak is about 14 inches for a current total depth of 36+ inches (but very heavily drifted). Todays rainfall total has passed an inch in Idyllwild, and various locations in Pine Cove (5800-6500 ft) were reporting 1.1 to 1.3 inches two hours ago. Spikes are not generally required for ascending, but most hikers will find them useful for descending. I kept those on for the rest of the ascent, and almost all of the descent, finally removing them most of the way down Devils Slide Trail. Spikes are recommended but not strictly essential depending upon your comfort level hiking on angled icy snow. Spikes are recommended. Ernie Maxwell Trail has a well traveled track to follow along its entire length, through the increasingly patchy icy snow. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 12-14 inches (storm total 10 inches), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 10-12 inches (storm total 7 inches), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 7 inches (storm total 6 inches), Round Valley (9100 ft): 6 inches (storm total 5 inches) [thanks to Kyle Eubanks for this measurement], Annies Junction/approx. Currently crampons, always with an ice axe, and advanced knowledge of how to use this equipment, are required. Conversely in places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. Nothing unduly dangerous, but something to be aware of for the next couple of days. Obviously these depths are expected to change dramatically over the next few days. They are not currently recommended for moderate angle slopes above 9000 ft that have challenging ice underlying shallow powder. While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to cover costs. California , United States , 33.81N 116.68W, 3047m asl. The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail has a well-traveled track to follow throughout its length, snow cover is about 80%. But in 2020, two people had to be rescued when they were caught in an avalanche while hiking in. Thank you so much for your support. A major change to the weather might occur next week (see Weather section below) with forecasts suggesting a possible double storm system impacting the San Jacinto mountains, and cold temperatures at all mountain elevations for a week at least. the snowfall predicted in some forecasts. Thank you for taking the time to read this. UPDATE Thursday 23rd: Idyllwild woke up to about four inches of fresh snow overnight, and it snowed fairly consistently today (averaging 0.75 inch/hour), adding six more inches by late afternoon. Although not required, many hikers will find spikes useful especially for descending. For those that are unclear, the Skyline Trail is the first segment of the C2C (cactus to clouds) from Palm Springs up to Grubbs Notch, the access point to Long Valley. Only 2.5 inches of snow fell at San Jacinto Peak (10,810ft) decreasing to 0.25 inch in upper Fern Valley (at approximately 6000 ft). They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, potentially mixed with slushy and/or icy patches (depending upon time of day). Heavy snow also possible in the Upper Midwest from a clipper system, and in the Northeast from a system moving through the area. 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. Another 10+ inches are forecast overnight, which is very possible given current conditions. Above that elevation, icy snow is almost continuous to Saddle Junction. Although snow depths are not generally sufficient to obscure the routes of the major trails, cautious navigation is recommended everywhere for the next few days in particular until tracks through the snow are in place. On my hike up to San Jacinto Peak it started snowing gently at 1025 in the high country. Spikes are generally not required for ascending, but most hikers find them useful at least for descending. Black Mountain Road also closed on 7th November to vehicle traffic at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243. The park's namesake, Mount San Jacinto, rises to 11,000 feet at San Jacinto Peak and offers hikers stunning granite rock faces, subalpine forests, and a lush, fern laden forest floor. Deer Springs Trail [updated 15th December] now has an accurate snowshoe track to follow all the way to San Jacinto Peak as I broke trail the entire way down to the Suicide Rock Trail junction on the afternoon of 15th. Note that tracks discussed can be obscured quickly by drifting of snow from strong winds, sometimes in days or even hours. In addition, there is the possibility of minor snow storms on Thursday 19th and around Sunday 29th January. Waterproof or highly water resistant footwear is recommended. Another tree came down near the start of this trail close to Saddle Junction in Tropical Storm Kay. All trails above about 6500 ft are currently snow-covered, and partially snow-covered above 5500 ft. The snow continues unabated, although the pace has slowed somewhat in the past hour. The East Ridge Trail from near Miller Peak to San Jacinto Peak has multiple tracks, all of which were disappearing under fresh spindrift when I ascended that way on Monday 23rd. Some hikers will find spikes are useful at least for descending. Overall, melting is proceeding faster than expected, especially with warmer than forecast temperatures, but this weekend trails will be very icy. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak has a well-traveled and level track photo below to follow through the light 3-4 inches of powder (drifted to six inches in places). If there are Road Closed signs further down often the case at weekends and holidays when snow is present then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. If there are Road Closed signs further down at the junction with Forest Drive as is often the case at weekends and holidays when snow is present then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. The first storm overnight on Monday 28th may produce snow above 10,000 ft (forecasts have ranged from 0-16 inches), and very light snow near the elevation of Idyllwild preceded by a little rain. MT. This rain produces huge masses of ice in the trees, including many chunks I have estimated as weighing 40-100 lb this winter, which can dislodge dramatically once direct sunlight warms the trees. Remarkably Tropical Storm Kay did not add any new treefall hazards to this trail. Very light precipitation well before first light this morning included a dusting of snow above 6000 ft, <0.25 inch below 8000 ft and about 0.25 inch above that elevation, plus 0.03 inch of drizzle in Idyllwild. The switchbacks up to Tahquitz Peak average only 20% icy snow cover, but the frequency and length of ice patches increases on the uppermost switchbacks. Areas here at 6500-7000 ft had had much less snow than a few miles further north, only 0.5-1.0 inch depth. The first number is the current total snow depth, followed in parentheses by the greatest depth of the winter to date following the latest storm on 11th-12th December. Skyscrapers & Towers. The station is at an elevation of 2,600 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains. There is already a moderately traveled posthole track on Devils Slide Trail, and I was surprised to find that below 7000 ft some of the trail was already slushy simply due to relatively warm air temperatures as there was no direct sun. UPDATE 11th November 2022: conditions for trails both north and south of Tahquitz Peak have been updated below, with photo, based on our hike this morning. 16 F. Back-to-back Pacific storm systems already the tenth and eleventh storms of this winter are forecast for Saturday 14th and then from late Sunday 15th January to the early hours of Tuesday 17th January. Spitler Peak Trail had 10 new treefall hazards, almost all in the upper switchbacks. On 14th I barebooted (i.e. Since the depths given in the previous Report, there has been some melting at higher elevations on sunny days and below 9000 ft caused by the heavy rainfall. On Fuller Ridge Trail there are five major treefall hazards obstructing the trail in the 1.5 mile section nearest to the campground (PCT Miles 189-190.5). My blogging throughout the storms gave more day-to-day detail and is available here. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 3 inches (4 inches on 12th December), Devils Slide Trail at Humber Park (6550 ft): 0-1 inches (3.5 inches on 12th December). When the gate is closed there are still nine legal parking spaces this side of the locked gate (which still require an Adventure Pass or equivalent to be displayed). Conversely on the afternoon of Tuesday 6th the ice was distinctly more watery, and I wore spikes from San Jacinto Peak down to Wellman Divide (9700 ft). Thankfully, no one is believed to have been on the mountain at the time. While expected to be relatively mild at first with rain above 9000 ft, overall this next sequence of storms may prove to be colder than most of the recent systems. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 6-8 inches (12-14 inches on 12th December), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 8 inches (10-12 inches on 12th December), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 0-2 inches (7 inches on 12th December), Annies Junction/approx. It finally stopped snowing at about 0700, and some blue sky has resulted in spectacular vistas. The strange rollercoaster ride that has been winter 2022/23 so far will continue for the foreseeable future. Snowshoes are useful in lower angle terrain with adequate snow depth above about 8000 ft, for example the Tahquitz area meadows near Saddle Junction, sections of Deer Springs Trail, and Long Valley/Round Valley. The powder was lovely and soft, and overlying a firm icy layer (from all the freezing rain). Note that averages are given; due to strong winds and considerable powder there is extreme drifting. Mountain Sunrise Hike and Meditation in Palm Springs. However the route is largely well-traveled and compacted. All trails above about 5000 ft are currently snow-covered. However the precipitation amounts and probabilities for both storm systems have varied greatly in recent forecasts, and the models seem to be especially uncertain about details of the second storm (approx. Spikes are recommended, at least for descending. This is the second heaviest rainfall period in the past decade for Idyllwild (behind the almost unbeatable Great Valentines Day flood event of 2019, when we recorded 7.8 inches in just 20 hours!). Reliable tracks are in place (at least) for Devils Slide Trail. Precipitation is predicted to start falling by 6 p.m. Monday with lows in the mountains of 28 to 36 degrees and gusts up to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service in San Diego. However there was a lot of rime ice starting to melt and fall from trees on upper Spitler (photos below). 10 inches on 9th), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 1-2 inches (was 4 inches on 9th), Annies Junction/approx. Consequently the trail conditions and snow depths reported herein will change dramatically over the next few days. Be prepared for trails above about 8000 ft (perhaps lower in places) completely or largely obscured by moderate to deep snow. Melting of snow on sun-exposed slopes and freeze-thaw cycles will combine to change trail conditions and potentially the preferred equipment for the terrain. At mid elevations (e.g., Idyllwild) temperatures are forecast to warm for the next ten days, and to be above seasonal averages well into the second half of November. Crampons are recommended for the traversing slopes. Snowshoes will remain valuable anywhere off trail above about 8000 ft for the foreseeable future. Both trails were virtually completely clear of snow. PCT Mile 181.8 (9070 ft): 0-1 inch, photo below (was 6 inches on 9th), Deer Springs Trail at top of Marion Mountain Trail (8700 ft): 1-2 inches, Tahquitz Peak (north side trail, 8700 ft): 0-1 inch [measured 26th November], Tahquitz Peak (south side trail, 8500-8700 ft): 0 inch [measured 26th November], Long Valley (8600 ft): <1 inch (was 2-3 inches on 9th), Strawberry Junction (8100 ft): 0 inch (was approx. This is a summary of conditions following the tenth and eleventh Pacific storms of winter 2022/23 to impact the San Jacinto range, that were basically a double atmospheric river event spread across 14th-17th January. Most significantly in terms of snow conditions daytime temperatures at all elevations will be well above freezing for about a week starting 20th. However excellent well-traveled and compacted tracks are now in place for most of the major trails (details below). Even when the gate is closed there are nine legal parking spaces below the locked gate (which still require an Adventure Pass or equivalent to be displayed). Further strong winds and blowing powder had eliminated much of these tracks again by Wednesday, and I again largely re-broke trail that day too. 10 inches on 9th November), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 0-1 inch (was 4 inches on 9th November), Annies Junction/approx. Only five of these require cutting, and I was able to remove three by hand last week. 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. Overall, melting is proceeding somewhat faster than expected but this holiday weekend trails will remain very icy. 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