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Snow Pack Survey Results for Northern California — May 2011

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Things are looking real BAD for high-mountain hiking and backpacking this summer in northern California, at least if the latest snow survey results on the Klamath National Forest and all of northern California are any indication. I wrote when we can hike near Mount Shasta and in Lassen Volcanic National Park a couple of months ago, and that still holds.

Here’s the final data on northern California snow depths and water content from the State of California Department of Water Resources:

Manual and electronic readings today show that California’s near-record snowpack is slowly melting with warming spring weather. But snowpack water content is still 144 percent of the April 1 full season average.

Electronic readings indicate that water content in the northern mountains is 159 percent of the April 1 seasonal average. Electronic readings for the central Sierra show 144 percent of the April 1 average. The number for the southern Sierra is 127 percent. The statewide number is 144 percent.

Here’s the skinny from a press release on the May 1 snowpack survey in Siskiyou County environs:

Employees of the Salmon/Scott River Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest have completed the May 1st snow surveys. The snowpack is well into the spring melt and the snow levels have declined since the April measurements. However, it still remains well above normal for this time of year. According to current measurements, the snowpack depth for the Scott Valley stations is now at 176% above normal.

Snow depth and water content are measured by obtaining a core sample of snow with a specially designed and calibrated aluminum tube. The snow depth is recorded and the water equivalent of that snow sample is calculated by weighing the core of snow in the tubes. The information is forwarded to the State of California, where the data is compiled with other snow reports and becomes part of the California Cooperative Snow Survey program, managed by the California Department of Water Resources. The information is used to help the State forecast the amount of water available for agricultural uses, power generation, and stream flow releases later in the year.

During the winter and spring months (Feb-May), District employees travel to pre-determined measuring sites to collect information about snow accumulation in the mountains of the Klamath National Forest above the south and west portions of Scott Valley. The “snow courses” are designated locations that are used to provide information about the amount of snow and moisture each winter month. Some sites are located a few dozen yards off forest roads; others require hours of travel by snow shoes and snowmobile.

Snow survey members this month included: Carol Ballow, Patrick Grimes, Nic Hoisington, Steve Renner, Bill Robinson, and Sue Tebbe.

For more information, go to the California Department of Water Resources Website: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow or contact Maija Meneks on the Salmon/Scott River District at (530) 468-1272.

Your Take

How will the deep snows affect your hiking and backpacking this summer?

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Comments

  1. watson says

    john,

    thanks for the post. do you have any tips on figuring out which trails should be snow free or only contain mild patches of snow early this summer? i’m imagining this is mainly just a function of altitude, latitude and slope aspect, but any specific ideas / links?

    cheers,
    watson

    Reply

    • John Soares says

      Watson, your analysis is correct (!).

      The best bet is to call the specific agency in charge and get the most knowledgeable person there to answer your questions.

      In general, think about trips at lower elevations, say 5000-7000 feet.

      Reply

  2. Ingrid says

    So… if one were planning a 4-5 day backpacking trip in early June, what would you recommend?

    Thanks for your help!
    Ingrid

    Reply

    • John Soares says

      Ingrid, that’s a tough one. I’d consider doing the Lost Coast; that way you avoid the entire snow issue because you’d be near the ocean most of the time.

      Early June is just too early for the high mountains. There may be some mid-elevation trails in the Sierrra, say the American River country, that would be good, although they may be quite hot.

      Reply

  4. Eric Soares says

    Until August, I will be hiking and camping in mountain and riverine environments below 5,000 feet, because even if the snow has melted enough for trails to open, it may be very wet–big streams and sloshy meadows.

    Thanks for the update, John.

    Reply

        • John Soares says

          As of now, definitely not in the Desolation Wilderness and probably not near the shores of Lake Tahoe either. You’ll likely need to wait until at least July if you want to avoid most of the snow on the trails of Desolation Wilderness.

          Reply

          • susan says

            With our desolation wildnerness hopes dashed, any pointers for dog friendly hikes this weekend (memorial day 2011) that won’t require snowshoes and a sled 😉 ?

            Reply

            • John Soares says

              Susan, are you still considering the Lake Tahoe area? I’d suggest going into the Sierra foothills in the Gold country along Highway 49. There are many little towns to explore and quite a few trails on national forest land where you can take your dogs. It looks like the weather will be cool this weekend.

              Reply

  5. Theresa says

    Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I was hoping to hear that some of the trails would be clear since I am itching to hike Desolation Wilderness but appreciate your advice and will save it for a time in the future.

    Reply

  6. William says

    Hi John,
    This is a long shot, but any recommendations for four east coasters coming to the area July 10, looking to do 4-5 days of backpacking? We’re flying into Portland but everything up there looks snowed in down to around 4000 ft, whereas in Klamath it seems clear up to about 6000. I hadn’t been looking at this area (Northern CA) until just recently (never though it would be so bad in WA or OR) so haven’t had time to buy books and research trails yet.

    Any tips or suggestions at all would be much appreciated!
    Thanks,
    William

    Reply

    • John Soares says

      William, it’s difficult if you are looking for snow-free trails in the high mountains. We still have a lot of snow up here.

      You could just reorient the trip and do day hikes and car camping. That way you can sample different areas and find out about conditions on local trails.

      Reply

  7. William says

    Thanks for the reply. We may end up doing that, or going for lower elevation hikes on the coast. Going to call the ranger stations on Tuesday to get the most up-to-date reports and see if there is any hope left…

    Reply

  8. Ryan says

    Any beta for the skiing conditions around the Trinity Alps? I’ll be up there in a week and wanted to know about access and potential conditions. Any resources or links would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
    Ryan

    Reply

    • John Soares says

      Ryan, click on the link about Trinity Alps snow conditions just below. There’s a weekly trail conditions report put out by the Weaverville Ranger Station.

      Reply

  9. Sara says

    Where do you suppose we could find a list of snow free short backpacking trips? I can think offhand of several along the coast — Big Basin, Castle Rock SP, Big Sur area, etc — but I’d like to try something new and maybe in the 3000 to 4000 elevation range and I’m having trouble figuring out how get a bunch of ideas to explore. Thoughts? Recommendations? All ideas welcome!

    Reply

  10. Lauren Miller says

    There are a few different guide books for hiking in Northern California. I am specifically interested in hiking near Klamath. Are there any books that you would recommend?

    Reply

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