snowpack on mt san jacinto

Very shallow snow is often icy and potentially perilous, while deeper powder can actually be much safer, albeit slow-going for most hikers. In recent days we have also surveyed trails around Tahquitz Peak, South Ridge, Spitler Peak, and Deer Springs, among others. 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. Otherwise, reliable posthole tracks are in place from Saddle Junctions through to San Jacinto Peak via Wellman Divide, but parts will become obscured by any additional light snowfall and/or especially by drifting snow from strong winds. The first number is the current average total snow depth at that location followed in parentheses where known by the combined fresh snowfall from the two minor storms on 13th-14th February. Spikes are not needed yet, but that will change soon with increasing compaction and freeze/thaw cycles. The first on Sunday 11th-Monday 12th may initially produce up to 1.5 inch of rain at the elevation of Idyllwild, transitioning to 2-4 inches of snow on Sunday night into Monday, while 10-12 inches of snow are forecast for the high country. Forest Service campgrounds at Boulder Basin, Marion Mountain, and Fern Basin are closed for the season. Spitler Peak Trail had 10 new treefall hazards, almost all in the upper switchbacks. My pre-dawn hike up Devils Slide Trail on 11th January was delightful, primarily because there was the noise of running water almost everywhere. Bear in mind that half the winter total, 26 inches, have fallen in the past five days! However excellent well-traveled and compacted tracks are now in place for most of the major trails (details below). However this may change next week with new snowfall possible as discussed below. The Ernie Maxwell Trail is clear of snow. If there are Road Closed signs across Fern Valley Road at its junction with Forest Drive likely the case at least on weekends and holidays when significant snow is present then those nine spaces are also unavailable for legal parking. SNOW DEPTHS measured on 6th January 2023 are as follows. Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 0 inch (3.0 inches on 12th December). Note that average depth is given; due to strong winds accompanying the storm there is extensive drifting, often particularly accumulating in the trails. Spikes are recommended. Vehicles not parked in these spaces may be ticketed and/or towed. UPDATE Friday 20th January: Overnight Idyllwild had a very light dusting (<0.25 inch) of snow, but the high country was above the cloud so existing tracks should be unaffected. Temperatures will be near or generally below seasonal for the next ten days at least. Strong winds expected on 11th-12th, and again on 14th, will likely obscure many tracks. They are now invaluable on heavily traveled, compacted, icy tracks (before they clear of snow in the coming weeks) such as Devils Slide, Ernie Maxwell, and Deer Springs trails, at least, especially mornings when conditions tend to be most icy, and for descending. UPDATE Wednesday 22nd: the first of four storms expected over the next eight days, the sixteenth storm of this winter, produced a very light snowfall but bitterly cold conditions in the San Jacinto mountains overnight. The Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail has a well-traveled track to follow throughout, snow cover is 90%. 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. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 40-45 inches [2 inches] (45-48 inches), drifted >50 inches in places, Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 45 inches, heavily drifted, measured 23rd January, Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 40 inches [2 inches] (45 inches), Annies Junction/PCT Mile 180.8 (9070 ft): 44 inches [4 inches] (48 inches), Tahquitz Peak (8836 ft): 25 inches, heavily drifted to 40 inches in places, measured 20th January, Seven Pines Trail junction with Deer Springs Trail (8700 ft): 36 inches, measured 23rd January, Long Valley (8600 ft): 22 inches [2 inches] (24 inches), Strawberry Junction/PCT Mile 183 (8100 ft): 15 inches, measured 23rd January, Saddle Junction/PCT Mile 179 (8070 ft): 22 inches [5 inches] (22 inches), Suicide Rock Trail junction with Deer Springs Trail (6950 ft): 3 inches, measured 23rd January, Devils Slide trailhead at Humber Park (6550 ft): 4-5 inches [4 inches] (6 inches) already melting afternoon of 30th, Idyllwild (at 5550 ft): 0-2 inches [3.5 inches] (3-4 inches) rapidly melting afternoon of 30th. Since the depths given in the previous Report, there had been very minor storms on 28th and 29th December, which added a couple of inches at the highest elevations, down to 0.5 inch at 8000 ft. I descended via Deer Springs Trail, breaking trail snowshoeing through virgin powder all the way down to the Suicide Rock Trail junction. Spikes are not required for ascending, but some hikers may find them useful for descending. Mount San Jacinto State Park is all about the San Jacinto Mountains. A less intense but slow moving multi-storm system is forecast for Friday 16th-Wednesday 21st. Black Mountain Road closed on 7th November to vehicle traffic at the gate 1.7 miles up from Highway 243 (see Forest Service website regarding this closure here). Spikes are recommended especially in the morning as the snow is now hard, compacted and very icy in places. Through LRV and up to San Jacinto Peak, there are at least three tracks (two posthole, one snowshoe), none of which attempt to follow the trail route, and all are steep and very direct. Some general comments on snow/ice conditions. Early on the morning of Saturday 17th I broke trail back-and-forth across the 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak which now has a lightly traveled posthole track to follow through the drifted powder. Largely a day for digging out again, and getting prepared for the next major snowfall, due tonight. Above Little Round Valley in particular my track down from the Peak is very direct, steep, and would be a challenging ascent. At this time there is no further significant precipitation forecast prior to mid February. The Trail Report has adopted Seven Pines Trail as a priority for maintenance work as the trail has had a disproportionate number of lost hiker rescues in the past decade. The storm expected on 28th November failed to materialize, producing only below average temperatures, wind, and spectacular clouds (photos below). Currently the USFS gate at Humber Park is closed. San Jacinto State Park locations where self-issued permits are available 24/7: Idyllwild Ranger Station, 25905 Highway 243, Idyllwild, CA 92549 (located on a permit desk in front of office) . Remarkably Tropical Storm Kay did not add any new treefall hazards to this trail. Note that generally the maximum depths so far this winter were immediately following the major storm sequence on 14th-17th January 2023 (details of those depths available here). A minor heatwave is forecast for 23rd-27th November with temperatures at all elevations expected to warm to well above seasonal. Marion Mountain Trail (surveyed at least weekly in past month) now has only about 20% icy snow cover, largely in the central section between about 7400-8200 ft elevation which is less sun-exposed. 24F-4C. The Wellman Trail track was disappearing under spindrift as I re-broke it on Monday 23rd. San Jacinto Peak (10810 ft): 6-8 inches (12-14 inches on 12th December), Little Round Valley (9800 ft): 8 inches (10-12 inches on 12th December), Wellman Divide (9700 ft): 0-2 inches (7 inches on 12th December), Annies Junction/approx. Trails remain icy due to daily freeze/thaw cycles and compaction from hiker traffic, and spikes are useful throughout the trail system above about 9000 ft (lower in places). Consequently cautious navigation is recommended everywhere. The 0.4 mile section of South Ridge Trail between Chinquapin Flat/PCT and Tahquitz Peak has a well-traveled and level track photo below to follow through the light 3-4 inches of powder (drifted to six inches in places). At the Peak on Thursday 8th December 2022 at 0900 the air temperature was 28.4F (-2C), with a windchill temperature of 12.7F (-11C), 11% relative humidity, and a fresh SW wind sustained at 7 mph gusting to 9.3 mph. Potentially stormy weather forecast for four periods in the past ten days all failed to significantly impact the San Jacinto mountains. Snowshoes are likely to become useful (even essential in early January), at least above about 9000 ft, if there is significant snowfall during the coming week or so as forecast. Check out the Mount San Jacinto State Park, CA WinterCast. While fresh snow may be optimum for snowshoeing for the next couple of weeks, snow at all elevations will become increasingly firm and icy following multiple freeze-thaw cycles, and compaction by increasing hiker traffic in places, and I cannot overemphasize the importance of having both appropriate equipment and the right skill set for the terrain. This trail is great for hiking and snowshoeing, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Deer Springs Trail is largely clear from the Highway 243 trailhead to the Suicide Rock trail junction at 7000 ft. From there to Strawberry Junction (8100 ft) snow cover averages 50% with patches increasing in length and frequency as you ascend. Note that South Ridge Road (5S11) is closed to vehicle traffic. 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. Spikes are not essential but will be useful for most hikers, especially for descending. A rapidly warming montane climate, with changes especially striking at high elevation, is exacerbating all of these issues. Note that average depth is given; due to strong winds accompanying the storm there is extensive drifting, often particularly accumulating in the trails. UPDATE Thursday 5th January 2023: We are just catching the southern edge of the highly-publicized storm currently passing through central California. Seven Pines Trail has not been traveled since last weeks storm, at least not in its uppermost section, and there is no track to follow through the snow. A minor storm on the night of Tuesday 21st will include severe cold and severe winds, followed by milder, moderate storm on 22nd-23rd, and then an unusual atmospheric river combined with very cold air again producing heavy snowfall for 23rd-25th February. 7-Day Weather Live Satellite & Weather Radar. Monday 5th was the first day since the snow storm in early November that I did not use spikes for descending, as the icy snow in the high country was crisp and grippy in cold, cloudy conditions. With significant further snowfalls expected in the next week (at least), and moderate to strong winds in the high country expected for many of those days causing some daily drifting of snow, much of the trail system may remain completely or somewhat obscured by snow throughout most or all of January. It does not accurately follow the established trail route in significant sections but is navigable. I postholed barebooting to 8900 ft before putting on crampons. Spikes are not generally required for ascending, but most hikers will find them useful for descending. San Jacinto Peak is the highest peak in the California State Park system, and the second-highest point in southern California. South Ridge Trail [updated 24th December] has about 30% icy snow cover from the top of South Ridge Road to Old Lookout Flat (7600 ft). I kept my crampons on for the entire descent, taking advantage of excellent cross-country glissading conditions, and made it from San Jacinto Peak back to Humber Park in just over two hours. Details of snow depths measured at various locations on the trail system are given at the foot of this posting. I measured an average of about four inches of snow at Old Lookout Flat, although with some deeper drifts in the trail. 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