Official 2017 Snow Level Thread

[Aimless]

If you're interested in Walupt Lake campground and the roads leading there, I think it is in the Packwood Ranger District. The Forest Service may not always have much up to date info on trail conditions, but they will almost certainly be able to tell you if the campground is open and accessible. As for snow level on the trails above Walupt Lake, that's going to be more of a mystery to them.

Sorry, but the ranger station won't be open again until Monday morning, so if you need to know right now, we'll be looking forward to reading your report when you get back.

[drm]

So the Potato Hill Snotel, north of Mt Adams, melted out on Saturday. This is only about one week later than normal. The Surprise Lake Snotel near Indian Heaven has a ways to go (over 40") but is about 2 weeks later than the average for the current amount of snow. Mt Hood test site appears to be a few days ahead of average, with 5 feet still there. Green point has been melted out a while, but it was about one week after the average date.

So I think this gives some hint of what our very hot May did for us. We don't appear so far behind past years as it looked like a month ago. I would say one week late is about average in the immediate area. I'm sure there are places with greater differences one way or the other.

[justpeachy]

So I think this gives some hint of what our very hot May did for us.

Maybe we have different definitions of "very hot." I think of temperatures in the 80s (of which Portland had seven days in May) as hot, and 90s (one day) as very hot. But that's just me.

[drm]

So I think this gives some hint of what our very hot May did for us.

Maybe we have different definitions of "very hot." I think of temperatures in the 80s (of which Portland had seven days in May) as hot, and 90s (one day) as very hot. But that's just me.

I saw on TV that the month was 1.5 degrees above average, which I think is a pretty significant variation from average. The few hottest daily high temps are not a great measure for how the snow pack was affected, even if they tend to dominate our impressions. Still, I guess the "very" part of very hot was an exaggeration.

[retired jerry]

I think of the 70s as hot

[drm]

I think of the 70s as hot

I think of 70s = disco , not hot.

[Schrauf]

Yesterday June 11 in the Clackamas Wilderness on the trail to Memaloose Lake and South Fork Mountain, light patchy snow started at the lake (4100 feet) and continued to the peak (4800 feet). That entire last mile of trail only about 20% snow covered, with a foot or two at the summit (some deeper drifts).

Seems like less snow than around Mt. Hood and north at the same elevation.

[retired jerry]

"I think of 70s = disco , not hot."

softball pitched, hit out of park

[Aimless]

I have just returned from a hike up Badger Creek to Badger Lake (in the Badger Creek Wilderness, east of Mt Hood). The trail was snow free all the way to the lake and above it. No snow yet at the spot I turned back -- maybe 4800 feet elevation. Snow was visible on the upper reaches of some north-ish facing slopes across the lake from me. I'd estimate it was visible at around 5000 feet. I have no idea if the road up to the lake is opened for vehicles yet, but no one else was at the lake yesterday (Wed, June 14).

[xrp]

I have just returned from a hike up Badger Creek to Badger Lake (in the Badger Creek Wilderness, east of Mt Hood). The trail was snow free all the way to the lake and above it. No snow yet at the spot I turned back -- maybe 4800 feet elevation. Snow was visible on the upper reaches of some north-ish facing slopes across the lake from me. I'd estimate it was visible at around 5000 feet. I have no idea if the road up to the lake is opened for vehicles yet, but no one else was at the lake yesterday (Wed, June 14).

Thank you for this update. I'm planning to backpack nearby Barlow Pass PCT in the next 10 days. Sounds like that should be pretty much cleared out also as it is lower altitude.