If you ask around, you will hear stories of epic winters and ‘snowpocalypse’ conditions lasting well into summer. You will also hear stories of dry years where hardly any snow fell. This is because winters in the Sierra can vary dramatically, making it very important to follow along with winter snow reports to get an idea of what summer conditions will be like. In the 2018-2019 winter, for example, most ski resorts in the Sierra received upwards of 600 inches, and some received over 700 inches (that’s nearly 60 feet of snow, or 18 meters). This compressed and settled into about a 20 foot (240 inch) snow base, and it took all summer to finally melt.

Of course, not all areas or elevations receive this much snow, but all areas above 4,000 feet do receive some snow. The passes and high peaks get the most, with the north facing aspects holding onto snow the longest due to less sunlight reaching them. The central and northern Sierra usually get more snow than the southern parts, and the west typically gets more than the east, but not always. Mammoth Mountain ski resort is a great example of this, and the John Muir Trail passes within a mile of its highest point. You can clearly see the summit chairlift from the trail, and in heavy snow years, the resort will stay open for skiing through July and sometimes August.