High Sierra Topix

2009 was a bit odd in that it snowed nearly every day in June, and must have been windy, because there were a lot of residual cornices and snowdrifts well into August. As far as August snow storms, that is normal. In fact the late-August snowstorm in 2014 was much more severe, driving most backpackers out of the mountains and lasting for a week. Those August snows almost always melt with a September "Indian Summer". Real winter usually arrives late Sept to October. Some hunting starts late August, and the hunters really like those early snows for tracking. 2016 was an unusually dry summer with very few afternoon storms. On the other hand 2007 was extremely monsoonal, with rains once or twice every day. Later this spring, check the NWS long term forecasts to see if it is shaping up to a monsoonal summer or not this year. I never decide not to go to the Winds if it is monsoonal, I just take the appropriate gear and plan on some contingency days.

One definitely becomes spoiled with good weather backpacking in the Sierra!