Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Whitney Weather

As we all know, it's almost impossible to predict tomorrows weather, I'll ask anyway. We have a Mountaineers Route trip planned for Sept. 25 , 26. Can anyone tell me from past experience what type of weather is usually expected during this part of the year?

Late September might be on the cusp of fine fall weather and the beginning of winter storms. I did it last year on Sept 28th, knowing that storms were scheduled to move in a few days later.

Hopefully others will chime in with their experience.

Usually no snow. The earliest the snowpack seems to develop is October. It might be nippy, it might be hot; last year around the same time it was warm enough that I left my sleeping bag at camp and bivied at 14K on a climb with just a jacket (~35 degrees low). The previous year near the same date I shivered all night IN a sleeping bag at 12K! Much lower chance of thunderstorms compared with July/August.

Wild to mild is the best I can tell you from my experiences here in September. Last September 20th, we were on the summit at dawn and it was a balmy 32* F with not a hint of wind. In mid-September 2004, the temperature was in the single digits and the wind was howling.

My guess your chance of seeing appreciable snow this time of year is <20%.

Thanks for the forecasts. I guess I'll be prepared for the worst but will make adjustments the morning we leave the Portal.