San Jacinto Sees Late Fall Snow

The high country in the San Jacinto Mountains, was periodically above the cloud in the morning, Thursday, with occasional drizzle, which turned to light snow at about 12:30. Barely one inch of snow fell in Long Valley (8600ft). – the San Jacinto Trail Report

I was not able to check the high peaks in the afternoon, but estimate 2-3in snow accumulated at most.

San Jacinto Trail Report has this amazing resource to enhance visitor safety by providing accurate and detailed trail condition information for the San Jacinto mountains.

For the first time since late October we had a minor storm system pass through the San Jacinto mountains on Thursday 9th December. It started drizzling in Idyllwild just before sunrise, and by dusk totaled 0.73in of rain (at 5550ft elevation). Just after dark the precipitation briefly turned to snow and dusted in town (<0.25in).

The measurable settled snow level was at about 6200ft, with a dusting of 0.5in snow at Devil’s Slide trailhead (6520ft).

As the first significant mountain range encountered in spring by the annual flow of several thousand northbound PCT hikers, just 150 miles into their hike, in most years the San Jacintos present a considerable, and often overlooked, hazard. It is therefore no coincidence that this region may have the highest fatality rate – and among the highest rescue rates – of any section of the PCT. Now, with this Trail Report, the San Jacinto mountains is the only subsection of the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail that has its own dedicated report on trail conditions for hikers.