Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. I was very happy to find no new treefall hazards down on Spitler Peak Trail. Current air temperature at San Jacinto Peak is 17.8F (-8C) with a windchill of -5.6F (-21C) and a steady SW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 30.2 mph. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak has a well-traveled and level track to follow through the slowly melting inch of patchy icy snow (photo below from 30th). 16 F. Altitudes are approximate. but ideal for snowshoes, which I used from Saddle to San Jacinto Peak and back. Although not essential in the moderate depth powder, spikes are strongly recommended and many hikers will find them useful especially for descending. Spikes are useful at least for descending. The previous Report (available here) summarized the conditions following the multiple storm event of 14th-17th January. At the Peak on Wednesday 11th January 2023 at 0915 the air temperature was 24.0F (-4C), with a windchill temperature of 5.8F (-15C), 74% relative humidity, and a bitter NNW wind sustained at 19 mph gusting to 24.5 mph. Note that there are about a dozen stream crossings and sections of the trail with water flowing in them, at times for tens of feet. 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). Snow depths are currently suitable for snowshoeing above about 9000 ft, potentially lower in places. In summary there are good tracks in place through the very shallow snow, and spikes are not required (but may be useful for some hikers depending on their experience in thin icy snow). With at least two further snowfalls expected in the next few days, and strong winds in the high country expected for the next week causing substantial daily drifting of snow, much of the trail system will remain largely obscured by light to moderate snow until the second week of January. Temperatures will be below seasonal for December for at least the next week, with many days cloudy or at least partly cloudy. UPDATE Tuesday 13th December 2022: This morning Anabel and I broke trail up South Ridge Road and South Ridge Trail to Old Lookout Flat (7600 ft). Zelle, Venmo, and PayPal are all options. The PCT throughout the San Jacinto mountains (roughly Miles 207-151) has a clear track to follow, including Fuller Ridge Trail, which has been traversed by a handful of sobo PCT hikers. I recorded a brief video at San Jacinto Peak at about 0930 on Friday 6th (available here on YouTube) which discusses conditions at that time. Two powerful systems will bring heavy snow and areas of blizzard conditions across southern and interior Alaska. Overall, melting is proceeding somewhat faster than expected but this holiday weekend trails will remain very icy. Note that near its junction with Deer Springs Trail, the route was not close to the established trail, so cautious navigation may be needed. As encouraging as that is, it should be noted that snow accumulation at San Jacinto Peak is only at about 65% of the depth in March 2019, and this winter overall remains well below the historical average for snow in the high country, despite recent events. Winter Hiking: Dangerous conditions exist when snow and ice conditions are present. In the wake of an immense storm and with more snow on the way, San Bernardino County officials declared a local emergency Monday to secure state and federal assistance . 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. 2-3 inches on 9th), Saddle Junction/approx. Altitudes are approximate. 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 is now functionally clear of snow. The total snow accumulation was ultimately very close to the predictions given by forecasts in the days prior to the storm, and notably it was the heaviest snowfall in the first half of November for at least a decade. PCT Mile 179.9 (8070 ft): 4 inches (storm total 3.5 inches), Devils Slide Trail at Humber Park (6550 ft): 3.5 inches (storm total 3.5 inches). Florian Boyd kindly reported this morning that snow has dusted down to 4500 ft on the lower (open) section of Skyline Trail. Just a short . The first number is the current average total snow depth at that location, followed in parentheses by the approximate depth of fresh snow added by the latest storm sequence on 14th-17th January. Today, in Mount San Jacinto State Park, snow showers are forecasted. SAN JACINTO (MSJC1) Lat: 33.81528NLon: 116.64194WElev: 8616ft. Long Valley (8600 ft) has received about 1.0 inch fresh snow this morning. The freeze level will initially be above 10,000 ft, ultimately only falling to about 9000 ft, so many of the main access trails to the high country may get no new snowfall. Conversely in some places scouring by the wind means the depths are well below the average. Conditions are forecast to remain very unsettled for the first week of January. As evident in the video, spikes are currently needed at least, and snowshoes would be ideal especially for sections that have not yet been traveled. Every year seems to have its unique challenges and 2022 has been no exception. However they will remain valuable for off-trail travel at elevations above about 9500 ft for the foreseeable future. Vehicles not parked in these spaces may be ticketed and/or towed. Many hikers will nevertheless find spikes useful in places, especially for descending. Half the time I go up planning to snow-shoe, I wind up staying in Micro-Spikes. Spitler Peak Trail had 10 new treefall hazards, almost all in the upper switchbacks. Snowshoes are no longer required on the established trail system, which is now too compacted for snowshoes. New snow accumulation of 13 to 19 inches possible. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 30th January 2023 (unless otherwise indicated) and checked again on 1st February are as follows. Be prepared for trails above about 8000 ft (possibly lower in places) obscured by moderate snow, and even fresh tracks being erased by spindrift snow in places. The avalanche was an unusual occurrence on Mount San Jacinto,Riverside Mountain Rescue UnitPresident Eric Holden said. However, snowshoes will become increasingly useful as conditions warm sufficiently for snow to become soft above about 8000 ft, especially on sunny slopes and afternoons. Altitudes are approximate. The intensity of snowfall at San Jacinto Peak this afternoon is the best Ive seen since late 2019. Snow depths measured at various locations on the trail system are given at the foot of this posting. In combination with the four inches of rain since Saturday, not to mention the many inches of rain earlier this winter, the mid elevations, including the mountain communities, are now best described as a very soggy and slushy mess. Spikes will likely become increasingly useful over the next few days and weeks as established trails become consolidated by hiker traffic and undergo freeze-thaw cycles. Sadly it is looking increasingly likely that neither storm will significantly impact the San Jacinto mountains. Top ways to experience San Jacinto Mountain and nearby attractions. With some melting already underway and compaction caused by freeze-thaw cycles and hiker traffic, conditions will deteriorate for snowshoeing over the next few days, especially on more heavily traveled trails below 9000ft. . Generally the San Jacinto mountains have just caught the southern edge of these systems, with nothing like the dramatic precipitation being reported from further north. At the Peak on Wednesday 18th January 2023 at 1115 the air temperature was 16.8F (-8C), with a windchill temperature of -3.6F (-20C), 27% relative humidity, and a frigid NNW wind sustained at 10 mph gusting to 25.8 mph. Currently few major trail routes have been traveled and even those may become partially obscured by drifted snow and fresh icefall. They are not however required, depending upon your comfort level hiking on shallow variable snow, mixed with slushy and icy patches. Dark Canyon Road (4S02, the access to Seven Pines Trail) and Santa Rosa Truck Trail (7S02) closed to vehicle traffic for the season on 7th November 2022. Deep snow at 10,500 feet There is currently no further precipitation in the forecasts. From near Miller Peak I put in a track up the East Ridge, rather than continuing on the Peak Trail round to Summit Junction. Mountain High. 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. While all time and labor is volunteered, the San Jacinto Trail Report uses small private donations to cover costs. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 15th February 2023 are as follows. However the snow conditions may not be suitable for snowshoeing on certain slopes, depending on the ice conditions below the surface due to multiple freezing rain incidents this winter. They may become increasingly useful if conditions warm sufficiently for snow to become soft above about 9000 ft, especially on sunny slopes and afternoons. Provisional forecasts suggest the later storm systems, around 25th-27th February, could produce much more significant snowfall, potentially 10-12 inches in Idyllwild and 24+ inches at the highest elevations. Reliable tracks are in place (at least) for Devils Slide Trail. If you have found this Report useful, please consider using this link to the Donate page. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. A minor heatwave is forecast for 23rd-27th November with temperatures at all elevations expected to warm to well above seasonal. Forecasts range widely from 6-22 inches of snow for the highest elevations across multiple days, with a mix of rain and several inches of snow at mid elevations. Spikes are strongly recommended. That said, the cumulative effect of multiple systems is helpful to our moisture situation, and Tuesday 10th January saw the sixth storm in just over two weeks in the San Jacinto mountains (a timeline of the recent sequence of storms is available here in the previous Report). Cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): storm total 12 inches (total depth 17-20 inches), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 8 inches (total 9 inches), Annies Junction/approx. Strong winds expected on 11th-12th February, and again on 14th, will likely obscure many tracks with spindrift. Seven Pines Trail has one set of hiker tracks through the snow since the storm in early November 2022. There are layers of hard ice and firm icy snow beneath the fresh powder, and crampons are ideal at present everywhere above 9000 ft, lower in places. There was a dusting of snow in Garner Valley (4300 ft). San Bernardino County declared a state of emergency Monday after residents in mountain communities were left stranded and snowed-in due to this week's winter storm. The holiday weekend had temperatures far above seasonal until Tuesday 27th. At home at 5550 ft in Idyllwild we recorded 10.9F (-12C), the lowest temperature we have recorded there in nine winters. Your contribution keeps the Report available to all, free from advertising or paywalls, and independent from agencies. Recently I have mentioned the challenges of hard, icy snow underfoot and the value of using spikes (and/or crampons) especially for descending and traversing. There was thin patchy snow at the trailhead (4900 ft) and then it was largely continuous above 5800 ft. All trails above about 5000 ft are currently lightly (or above 8000 ft, moderately) snow-covered. However the combined effect of the two minor storms, in combination with wild gusty winds pushing spindrift snow all over the high country, had completely erased the few tracks that were in place by the morning of Wednesday 15th. Note however that snow depth itself is rarely indicative of the difficulty (or otherwise) of hiking a particular trail. Note that average depth is given; due to strong winds accompanying the storm there is extensive drifting, often particularly accumulating in the trails. 51mi . KPBS. Hikers should expect to 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 after the passage of Tropical Storm Kay in September. Santa Rosa Truck Trail (7S02) also closed to vehicle traffic for the winter on 7th November 2022. By using snowshoes, crampons, or even just microspikes, we were able to hike Mount San Jacinto's summit every month of the year. Indeed there were no other tracks anywhere above Humber Park, not even on lower Devils Slide Trail. They are strongly recommended on certain moderate and higher angle slopes, at a minimum on the Peak Trail above Wellman Divide, the Wellman Trail, Deer Springs Trail above Little Round Valley, and uppermost South Ridge Trail, and on both flanks but critically on the north face of Tahquitz Peak. While these are expected to bring significant precipitation throughout the state, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding timing and precipitation amounts for Southern California. The storm started relatively mild, as might be expected from an atmospheric river system pulling moisture in from warmer latitudes, and as a result the freeze level was above 6500 ft for most of the storm, with rain as high as 9000 ft, before finally falling to about 5000 ft on the afternoon of Sunday 1st. The first number is the depth of fresh snow from this latest storm, followed in parentheses by the current total snow depth. Deer Springs Trail is clear from the Highway 243 trailhead to the Suicide Rock trail junction at 7000 ft, and functionally clear from there to Strawberry Junction (8100 ft), with a few icy snow patches increasing in length and frequency as you ascend. The advice above should be used with this in mind, and if in any doubt carry the necessary traction devices that you will be most comfortable using. In the high country temperatures will be more like April or May, some 10-20F above seasonal, before finally cooling (but still remaining above average) in the last couple of days of the year. Very cautious navigation is strongly recommended everywhere. Avalanche risk in the high country is currently minimal due to snow depths and conditions, with the exception of the traditionally unstable north face of San Jacinto Peak which avalanches to some extent every winter. That face of the mountain is 10,000 feet big, he said as he referenced the photo. I was pleased to see that over the weekend some posthole tracks were added on top of my snowshoe track from last week all the way up Deer Springs Trail to San Jacinto Peak. Hikers should be prepared for temperatures well below freezing in the high country, and far below freezing when considering wind chill effects (see below for my recent weather observations from San Jacinto Peak). Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 3 inches (all from latest storms, admixed with 5.06 inches rain on 14th-16th) already melting steadily on 18th. Dusted down to 4500 ft on the Trail system are given at the foot of this posting previous Report available. Are currently suitable for snowshoeing above about 9500 ft for the foreseeable future MSJC1 ) Lat: 33.81528NLon 116.64194WElev. Mountain is 10,000 feet big, he said as he referenced the photo especially! 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