Weekly updates about winter conditions in the greater Tuolumne Meadows area.
Posted: April 05, 2012
Weather: (March 28 through April 3)
High temp: 54°F (April 3)
Low temp: 9°F (April 2)
New Snow: 13 inches
Total settled snow depth: 23 inches as of April 4, 2012
Skiing Conditions and Weather: Spring has sprung here at Tuolumne Meadows! We had two snow "storms" this week, which did not amount to much new snow, but made for some great powder skiing immediately after the skies cleared. Then when the temperatures warmed up and the Sierra sunshine did its thing, the snow surface set up quickly and has made for some great corn skiing. As long as it continues to freeze overnight the touring and turning should remain good. With a shallow snowpack, however, it won't last long. Coverage is still good in all
Posted: March 27, 2012 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (March 21 through March 27)
High temp: 53°F (March 21)
Low temp: 11°F (March 21)
New Snow: 10 inches
Total settled snow depth: 30 inches as of March 27
Skiing Conditions and Weather: Another ten inches of very light density snow fell this week making it finally look like winter even though now it's spring. It sounds like maybe more is on the way so keep your fingers crossed. We might have some good spring skiing yet.
Read More About Update for March 27, 2012
Posted: March 21, 2012 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (March 14 through March 21)
High temp: 49°F (March 20)
Low temp: -9°F (March 19)
New Snow: 35 inches!
Total settled snow depth: 28 inches as of March 21
Skiing Conditions and Weather: St Patty's Day brought the luck of the Irish: 26 inches in less than twelve hours! Just when it looked like ski season was almost over, the high country is blanketed in white once again. Due to fluctuating temperatures (for example -9°F to 49°F in less than a day's time) the snow can be variable. Furthermore, the forecast is still for unsettled weather. So, expect anything. But, now that it's spring, the days are long and alive with the sounds of the mountains awakening. So come
Posted: March 14, 2012
Weather: (March 7 through March 14)
High temp: 55°F (March 9)
Low temp: 2°F (March 7)
New Snow: 1 inch
Total settled snow depth: 16 inches as of March 14
Update submitted by: Laura & Rob Pilewski, Tuolumne Winter Rangers
Skiing Conditions and Weather: At the time of this writing, it is snowing again and conditions are constantly changing. There were several days this week where the high temperature was in the 50's and this has created a supportable surface, when re-frozen, on most aspects below tree line. The snowpack is shrinking due to the warm temperatures this week, but coverage is still good for ski touring. The Tioga Road is still 100% snow covered from above
Posted: March 07, 2012
Weather: (March 1 through March 7)
High temp: 57°F (March 3)
Low temp: 0°F (March 2)
New Snow: 11 inches
Total settled snow depth: 20 inches as of March 7
Skiing Conditions and Weather: At the time of this writing, the winds are blowing and conditions are constantly changing. There were several days this week where the high temperature was in the 50's (F) and this has created a supportable surface, when re-frozen, on most aspects below tree line. These are ideal conditions for ski touring as the coverage is still pretty good. Only a light dusting of snow has fallen since Monday so conditions should remain good for touring if traveling during these "re-frozen" hours.
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Read More About Update for March 7, 2012
Posted: February 29, 2012
Weather: (February 22 through February 29)
High temp: 54°F (February 22)
Low temp: -4°F (February 28)
New Snow: 10 inches
Total settled snow depth: 24 inches as of February 29
Skiing Conditions and Weather: At the time of this writing, it is snowing hard and conditions are improving on all aspects. There was a three day warm spell this week that settled and firmed up the snow surface on all but the North facing slopes. South facing slopes are mostly snow free below 9000' and only patchy snow above this elevation. There are still good touring conditions above 8000' in all drainages. There are good turns to be had above tree line, primarily on North aspects, but also on select East
Posted: February 22, 2012
Weather: (February 15 through February 21)
High temp: 48°F (February 17)
Low temp: -2°F (February 19)
New Snow: 8 inches
Total settled snow depth: 20 inches as of February 21
Skiing Conditions and Weather: There were some high winds immediately after the last update was posted. So, ski conditions can vary quite a bit given aspect and altitude. Sheltered true north slopes still offer the softest option. For twenty inches, coverage is still quite good for sliding around this spectacular winter wilderness.
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche
Posted: February 15, 2012
Weather: (February 8 through February 15)
High temp: 51°F (February 9)
Low temp: 4°F (February 14)
New Snow: 13 inches
Total settled snow depth: 24 inches as of February
Skiing Conditions and Weather: Winter is finally paying us a visit. Both recent storms have dropped some light, fluffy powder. The skiing has been fantastic. Trail breaking isn't difficult in the light snow, but can be once the temperatures change so bring plenty of skin & ski wax!
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The ESAC site is
Posted: February 07, 2012
Weather: (February 2 through February 7)
High temp: 48°F (February 3)
Low temp: -2°F (February 5)
New Snow: 0 inches
Total settled snow depth: 18 inches as of February Skiing Conditions and Weather: Ski conditions haven’t changed much as of the last report except for maybe there are now more wind affected areas above tree-line. North aspects still hold some soft stuff. And there is still ample snow for touring. In spite of such a perpetual dry spell the skiing is pretty darn good!
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and click on advisory. The
Posted: February 01, 2012
Weather: (January 18 through February 1)
High temp: 52°F (January 8)
Low temp: 2°F (January 22)
New Snow: 40 inches
Total settled snow depth: 20 inches as of February 1
Due to power outages and snow surveys - this update covers the past two weeks.
Skiing Conditions and Weather: Finally, our first significant snowstorm! Just in time for the first winter snow (not dirt) survey for 2012. The winter rangers are finally skiing. Yippee! The trees below 8800' that were initially soaked in rain followed by snow, now offer some challenging ski conditions, as does the sun affected south facing exposures and wind affected pockets above tree line. But, sheltered
Posted: January 19, 2012 | posted by: Marea Ortiz!
Weather: (January 11 through January 18)
High temp: 53°F (January 13)
Low temp: -3°F (January 17)
New Snow: 0 inches
Total settled snow depth: 0 inches as of January 18
Hiking Conditions and Weather: This is the first weekly update for the "winter" of 2011-12. Up until January 17 at 7pm you could see and visit Tuolumne Meadows from the comfort of your automobile. This is the latest Tioga Pass has been open since they've kept records in 1933. Given the latest forecast, ice skating season may finally be over! Although this weather gave many a unique opportunity to explore the area in ways never been done this time of year, let's hope we can don our skis once and for all. The
Posted: January 19, 2012 | posted by: Marea Ortiz!
The Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut is now open for the winter season until the Tioga Road opens to traffic in the spring (usually sometime in May or early June). It sleeps 10 and is available at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Parties should always be prepared to camp out in case the hut is full, which happens on occasion, particularly in the spring.
The ski hut is the stone building facing the Tioga Road just west of the bridge across the Tuolumne River and right at the entrance to the Tuolumne Meadows Campground (in the summer, the building is the campground reservations office). It is approximately eight miles west of Tioga Pass, and sits at about 8,600 feet in elevation. A wooden sign out front indicates "SKI HUT."
The hut has a
Posted: April 06, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (April 1 through April 6)
High temp: 63°F (April 1)
Low temp: 16°F (April 3)
New Snow: 1 inch
Total settled snow depth: 70 inches as of April 6
Ski Conditions and Weather: This will be the last weekly update for the winter of 2010-11. Spring has finally arrived and it has settled the snow quite a bit. We even had a thunderstorm last Saturday. More unsettled weather is expected starting tomorrow, bringing more snow to our unbelievable snowpack. Skiing is hard and fast in the mornings and softening up in the afternoon. Expect skiing conditions to change daily. Caltrans has not started plowing Highway 120 from the Lee Vining side yet.
Posted: March 31, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (March 24 through March 30)
High temp: 53°F (March 30)
Low temp: -1°F (March 25)
New Snow: 38 inches
Total settled snow depth: 84 inches” as of March 31
Ski Conditions and Weather: This winter is one for the record books. In March we received 112 inches of snow, containing 8.01 inches of water. We have received over 35 feet of snow this winter, and winter probably isn’t over yet. We reached our maximum snow depth here at the ranger station of 105 inches this week. But don’t let that fool you, higher elevations have much more snow. Our snow survey site at Rafferty Meadows (below Tuolumne Pass) had 145 inches of snow containing 57 inches of water. Only the legendary winter of 1983 dropped more snow (156 inches) at this site,
Posted: March 23, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (March 17 through March 23)
High temp: 36°F (March 17)
Low temp: -4°F (March 22)
New Snow: 44 inches
Total settled snow depth: 88 inches as of March 23
Ski Conditions and Weather: Although spring is officially here, winter is still in full force in Tuolumne Meadows. We haven’t seen the sun in almost two weeks. Storm after storm has pounded us, leaving us with our highest snow depth in five years. It is currently snowing heavily. The National Weather Service is forecasting this pattern to stay with us until the end of the month. Don’t expect any spring skiing in the near term. Trail breaking is deep and difficult.
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for
Posted: March 16, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (March 9 through March 15)
High temp: 51°F (March 10)
Low temp: 12°F (March 11)
New Snow: 7 inches
Total settled snow depth: 69 inches as of March 16
Ski Conditions and Weather: It was another cold and windy week here in Tuolumne Meadows. We’ve had snow on and off all week, along with high winds and cloudy skies. Not much indication that spring is going to arrive anytime soon, the forecast for the next week is for more of the same type of weather. Trail breaking is about 6 iches deep in wind-crusted snow in the open areas, and deeper in powdery snow in the sheltered spots. Our last report from the east side is that the Lee Vining grade is mostly bare pavement from the road closure gate up to about Warren Fork Creek, with a few
Posted: March 09, 2011
Weather: (March 3 through March 9)
High temp: 47° (March 5)
Low temp: -1° (March 4)
New Snow: 14 inches
Total settled snow depth: 74 inches as of March 9
Ski Conditions and Weather: It was yet another stormy week here in Tuolumne Meadows. Three separate storms hit us, bouncing back and forth between warm days and cold days. Trail breaking is moderate, sinking in about 6 inches. Not much spring skiing yet, the new snow is still wet and heavy and turns aren’t very good. We need a break from this stormy pattern, and an extended period of warmer weather, for the snow to set up more firmly.
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this
Posted: March 03, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (February 24 through March 2)
High temp: 44°F (March 1)
Low temp: -15°F (February 27)
New Snow: 31 inches
Total settled snow depth: 72 inches as of March 2
Ski Conditions and Weather: Even though spring is on the horizon, it is still very much winter here in the High Sierra. In the past two weeks we received 82 inches of snow. The temperatures have moderated a bit. The NWS is forecasting unsettled weather all week. It is currently snowing and windy. Expect some tough trail breaking if you come in. Snow coverage is still great if you can get in here.
Avalanche and Snowpack Conditions: For the latest avalanche advisory for this area go to www.esavalanche.org for the Eastern Sierra
Posted: February 24, 2011
Weather: (February 17 through February 23)
High temp: 32°F (February 23)
Low temp: -15°F (February 21)
New Snow: 44 inches
Total settled snow depth: 65 inches as of February 23
Ski Conditions and Weather: We had quite the weather week here in Tuolumne. Last week’s storm brought us 51 inches of new snow and bitterly cold temperatures. We did not get above freezing the entire week and had below zero temperatures five nights in a row. We also had moderate winds, which dropped the wind chill values. Expect some tough trail breaking if you come in. There is trail broken from the west but another storm is due to hit us this evening obliterating any trail that had been broken.
Posted: February 17, 2011
Weather: (February 10 through February 16)
High temp: 51°F (February 13)
Low temp: 1°F (February 10)
New Snow: 7 inches
Total settled snow depth: 51 inches as of February 16
Ski Conditions and Weather: Winter has returned to the High Sierra. After another windy week with clear blue skies we have finally been hit by a full fledged snowstorm. As of this morning we picked up 7 inches of new snow and it is still snowing heavily with gusty winds creating white-out conditions. The NWS is expecting this trend to continue into next week with the Sierra picking up several feet of new snow. With that said, expect some tough trail breaking if you come in. Snow coverage is still great around the Tuolumne
Posted: February 09, 2011
Weather: (February 3 through February 9)
High temp: 52°F (February 6)
Low temp: 0°F (February 9)
New Snow: 0"
Total settled snow depth: 48 inches as of February 9
Ski Conditions and Weather: This has been the week of the winds. We have had strong east winds all week making it feel colder than it really was. Brilliant sunshine dominated everyday followed by cold, clear nights. Skiing conditions have really deteriorated because of the winds. Ski tracks have been left stranded several inches above the snowpack or buried under a wind-crusted slab of Styrofoam. Just to give you an idea of how wet last December was, our February 1st snow surveys showed the Tuolumne and Merced River drainages at 150%
Posted: February 03, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (January 27 through February 2)
High temp: 52°F (January 27)
Low temp: 0°F (January 31, February 1)
New Snow: 11 inches
Total settled snow depth: 53 inches as of February 2
Ski Conditions and Weather: We had a mixed bag of weather this past week. The end of last week was warm and sunny, then over the weekend we picked up close to a foot of new snow, and then had a strong east wind following the storm. The winds wrecked havoc on the new snow, piling it into drifts and forming a breakable wind slab on top. The wind is still blowing strong out of the east, but is predicted to die down and warm up. This will hopefully improve skiing conditions which are now variable, hard slab to breaking through about 10 inches. There is still
Posted: January 27, 2011
Weather: (January 20 through January 26)
High temp: 58°F (January 21)
Low temp: 11°F (January 26)
New Snow: 0 inches
Total settled snow depth: 49 inches as of January 26
Ski Conditions and Weather: It is another Groundhog Day here in Tuolumne Meadows. Sunny, blue skies, 50 degrees, just like every other day for the past 2 weeks. The only variation we have is some days there is an east wind blowing. Coverage is still excellent and if you hit it just right, you may get some spring-like skiing in. The morning snow is firm and fast but by the afternoon your skis break through the snow and you sink in a couple of inches. It looks like this weather will continue till Sunday
Posted: January 19, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (January 13 through January 19)
High temp: 57°F (January 17)
Low temp: 7°F (January 13)
New Snow: 0 inches
Total settled snow depth: 53 inches as of January 19
Ski Conditions and Weather: It was another dry and beautiful week in the High Sierra. We had a trace of rain on the afternoon of the 13th, putting a nice breakable crust on top of the snow. Daytime highs were mainly in the 50s all week turning the snow into a sloppy mess by afternoon. The snow collapses beneath your skis. It was a heat wave, making for uncomfortable skiing in the sun; we were looking for shade to hide under. The meltdown has started and water is flowing everywhere. Coverage is still excellent but the temperatures have ruined the nice soft skiable
Posted: January 12, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (January 6 through January 12)
High temp: 50°F (January 6)
Low temp: -13°F (January 10)
New snow: 3 inches
Total settled snow depth: 61 inches as of January 12
Ski Conditions and Weather: It was a dry and beautiful week in the High Sierra. One small disturbance brought us 3 inches of snow last night. Daytime highs were in the low 30s to low 40s range, leaving the snow soft and powdery. We were able to venture out farther and try some turning in the steeper terrain. Coverage is excellent and so was the snow. Trail breaking is moderately easy, about 6 inches deep. Visitors have skied in from the west and east. Reports from the west indicate snowline is halfway up the switchbacks in the
Posted: January 06, 2011 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (December 30 through January 5)
High temp: 43°F (January 4)
Low temp: -19°F (December 31)
New Snow: 16 inches
Total settled snow depth: 68 inches as of January 5
Ski Conditions and Weather: It has finally stopped snowing here in the High Sierra. A few smaller storms gave us another 16 inches of snow earlier in the week. Along with these storms came the frigid arctic air, -19°F on New Year's Eve morning. The nights are still below zero but the last couple of days we have had beautiful sunny weather. Trail breaking initially was a bit deep as the snow had not settled enough due to the cold temperatures. Every day it gets a little easier; the best touring is currently in the sunny areas, the shaded areas still are
Posted: December 30, 2010
Weather: (December 23 through December 29)
High temp: 42°F (December 24 and 27)
Low temp: 3°F (December 26 and 27)
New Snow: 31 inches
Total settled snow depth: 70 inches as of December 29
Ski Conditions and Weather: We had another stormy week here in the High Sierra. A few smaller storms gave us another 31 inches of snow. We have received 133 inches (11.1 feet) of new snow since the beginning of December. It is currently still snowing and windy, creating whiteout conditions. We did manage to break some trail and the touring was good. The snow is still too deep to get in any turns, unless you venture onto the steeper terrain. We didn’t think that was such a good idea given the massive amount of snow plus all the wind loading that
Posted: December 30, 2010 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (December 23 through December 29)
High temp: 42°F (December 24 and 27)
Low temp: 3°F (December 26 and 27)
New Snow: 31 inches
Total settled snow depth: 70 inches as of December 29
Ski Conditions and Weather: We had another stormy week here in the High Sierra. A few smaller storms gave us another 31 inches of snow. We have received 133 inches (11.1 feet) of new snow since the beginning of December. It is currently still snowing and windy, creating whiteout conditions. We did manage to break some trail and the touring was good. The snow is still too deep to get in any turns, unless you venture onto the steeper terrain. We didn’t think that was such a good idea given the massive amount of snow plus all the wind loading that
Posted: December 23, 2010 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (December 16 through December 22)
High temp: 35° (December 16)
Low temp: -3°F (December 16)
New Snow: 79 inches
Total settled snow depth: 67 inches as of December 22
Ski Conditions and Weather: We had quite a week here in the High Sierra. A series of major storms pounded us relentlessly since last Friday. We received 79 inches of new snow with an impressive water content of 7.63 inches. It is currently still snowing. The winds were strong, especially on Saturday when we had blizzard conditions all day. We stayed close to the house most of the week since it was a little scary to venture too far. We did manage to get out further on Tuesday during a break in the storms, and the skiing was actually quite good. After all that
Posted: December 15, 2010 | posted by: Jeffrey Trust!
Weather: (December 8 through December 14)
High temp: 60°F (Dec 12)
Low temp: 10°F (Dec 8)
New Snow: 10 inches
Rain: 0.23 inches
Total settled snow depth: 25 inches as of December 15
Ski Conditions and Weather: It was quite a mixed bag of weather in Tuolumne Meadows this week, with two days of rain and one day of snow. Daytime high temperatures ranged from the mid-30s all the way up to 60 degrees. We have a pretty solid base now, about 15 inches above the ground, consisting of rain saturated snow that has re-frozen and been covered with new snow. Forecasts are calling for heavy snow this weekend, so there’s a good chance that we will be adding significantly to our local snowpack. Snow levels have been high the past couple
Posted: December 08, 2010
Weather: (December 1 through December 7)
High temp: 50°F (Dec 7)
Low temp: 10°F (Dec 1)
New Snow: 13 inches
Total settled snow depth: 23 inches as of December 8
Ski Conditions and Weather: The winter is in full swing here in Tuolumne Meadows. We had one of the most wintry Novembers in recent memory, with over 6 feet of new snow and temperatures as low as -16°F. We have added another foot of snow this first week of December, making for a solid base and good coverage for the entire area. The trail breaking is relatively easy, 4-6 inches deep. Coverage is still a little thin for doing turns on steeper terrain, but the touring is just about perfect considering the early date. The latest report from the east side is that
Posted: December 07, 2010
The Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut is now open for the winter season until the Tioga Road opens to traffic in the spring (usually sometime in May or early June). It sleeps 10 and is available at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Parties should always be prepared to camp out in case the hut is full, which happens on occasion, particularly in the spring.
The ski hut is the stone building facing the Tioga Road just west of the bridge across the Tuolumne River and right at the entrance to the Tuolumne Meadows Campground (in the summer, the building is the campground reservations office). It is approximately eight miles west of Tioga Pass, and sits at about 8,600 feet in elevation. A wooden sign out front indicates "SKI HUT."
Read More About Tuolumne Meadows Ski Hut
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