I’m lookin’ for some weather-related info on the PCT-the sierra nevadas in particular. i keep hearin’ about a forecasted drought for this year but am finding no real info. does anyone have a link, answer, anything?
pipes
Drought this year on the PCT?
system
#2
Snowmelt is early this year all over the west. In many cases, at least a month early. The Sierras should be passable by early June. In some places (Canada, Montana, Colorado) they are forecasting a high fire year. Whether or not it will rain much this summer is unknown. The forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center may have answers - but who knows what the reality will be. Generally speaking, you don’t get a lot of rain in California in the summer - but it can vary. In 1990 snow levels were low, there was drought all over, and I got rained on almost every day on my John Muir Trail hike.
Ginny
system
#3
I think trudging thru snow all day and having views every day would be better than clear trail and socked in or rainy. But both make the mountains wonderful
Jester
system
#4
Check out http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/current/PlotSWC for up to date info on the Sierra snow pack and related snow survey sites. The three charts on this link show that the current year (in pink) is close to melting off similar to the driest year on record; 1977. That year was a bad drought year and there were fires up and down the western U.S. during the summmr. This year? Who knows what moisture lies ahead?
Greg