Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Chances of snow conditions July 5

Hi folks

I pulled a permit for July 5 of this year

When I picked my date, we hadn't had much rain and there wasn't much snow in the mountains

March dropped a lot of precipitation and I'm nervous about needing an ice axe and crampons for the hike

What do some of you experienced hikers forecast for trail conditions for July 5 this year?


Thanks!

That's totally dependent on the storm coming through this weekend. As well as if there are any other later storms that come through in May (not typical, but not impossible) and then how warm the weather is in May/June. It was a very slightly below average snow year - so in early July, I'd def expect snow on the trail still.

Will have to see how quickly, and how high temp rises in the coming months. This will impact snow melt speed. Keep checking the forum for updates and watch the weather in the region. Storms can add to the stack.

You can also dig back and find posts from years prior to see what they've said about their experiences from previous July's.

By mid-July a lot of snow has melted away and anything remaining on the mountain isn't too troublesome. That being said, we are always at the mercy of the mountain, so keep checking in to read about hikers' experiences this season between now and July. Happy prepping!

TomR,

ComradeBear makes an excellent suggestion in his post a couple of days: Check out Trip Reports for the first week of July in previous years. For example, from last year check out my TR posted on July 5: "NAP, Crabtree Pass, Sand Hill, Mt Whitney July 3-4." I descended from the Mt Whitney Summit via the Main Trail on July 4. In my TR, I note the observed Main Trail conditions loud and clear.

It will remain light for a long time in early July, which enhances the enjoyment/safety of the hike.

Jim

You should be fine for July. The only way you'd need to concern yourself with ice/snow is if you see an unprecedented amount of storms hit the region almost daily throughout May (which isn't in the extended forecast as of right now). There's a little system that's going to add a few inches on May 4th but immediately followed by a warming trend.

I went up last year on July 4th, I don't recall stepping on a single piece of snow for the entire hike. Given that this year's accumulation is below last year, July should be excellent.

Attached is an image at the cables which was the closest we came to any snow.