When to come to the Sierra Nevada?

When to come to the Sierra Nevada?

The first snows fall in November but realistically mountaineering doesnt get going until early December. The season last well into May.

The major snows fall in November/December and March/April. January and February have little preciptiation normally, just 2 or 3 bad days a month. Best ice is found, not unsurprisingly, in January, February and March.

With the advent of spring in early April, warmer temperatures and more daylight mean that snowshoes are often needed in the afternoons.

When we first arrived here in 2001 snow depths throughout the season were between 3 and 4 metres. Approaches were more arduous. The last 2 winters have produced less than a metre! Still fine for our sport though.

Average snow level is between 2000-2500m for much of the winter.