Weather on Mt Whitney varies greatly during the year and can certainly be unpredictable at times. Temperatures at the lower elevations are generally warm. At higher elevations in the night, even in the summer months temperatures can fall below freezing. Typical winter temperatures above 9,500 feet range from -14 degrees F to 12 degrees at night and from 15 - 50 degrees F during the day.
Ninety five percent of total precipitation (which includes both rain and snow) falls between the months of October and May, with more than half falling in January, February, and March. The frequency of summer showers increase at higher elevations and correspondingly there are more cloudy days. But even though these thundershowers are of short duration they are still a danger to the hiker/climber on the summit or high ridges on Mt Whitney and other Sierra Peaks. That being said, if you detect a thunderstorm developing, vacate the summit and high ridges at once. The
first recorded fatality on Mt Whitney was due to lightning.
Snow is one of the most spectacular features in the Sierra Nevada (the second snowiest mountain range on the continent) but due to the fact that Mt Whitney resides in the southern portion of the Sierra Nevada, it does not get nearly the amount of snow pack that the Palisade or Mammoth Lakes region do.
Latest Trail Conditions as of September 7th
Trail is clear all the way to the summit. The quota period is in force so you will need a permit.
MT WHITNEY AERIAL VIEW - We are proud to have the following link added to our Mt Whitney lineup. It is a mixed slide-show showing many key features of Mt Whitney and the surrounding areas from both the ground and the air. So click on the following link, turn up the music, use the biggest monitor you got in full screen video mode, and enjoy high resolution photos of Mt Whitney.
Mt Whitney Aerial Slide-show also check out our Mt Whitney Aerial Flight Video (a moving view completely around Mt Whitney and its surrounding neighbors).
TRAIL GUIDE - for an in-depth write up on hiking from the Trailhead at Whitney Portal to the Summit, please check out our page on the Mt Whitney Trail.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE WHITNEY PORTAL AREA AT 8,300 FT
The Whitney Portal Hosts the Trail-head for Hikers, Backpackers and Climbers on Mt Whitney
| Thursday 9/10 A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 77. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. |
| Thursday Night 9/10 Mostly clear, with a low around 57. West wind 7 to 9 mph. |
| Friday 9/11 Sunny, with a high near 77. West wind 6 to 14 mph becoming east in the afternoon. |
| Friday Night 9/11 Mostly clear, with a low around 55. West wind 8 to 13 mph. |
| Saturday 9/12 Sunny, with a high near 76. |
| Saturday Night 9/12 Mostly clear, with a low around 52. |
| Sunday 9/13 Sunny, with a high near 73. |
| Sunday Night 9/13 Mostly clear, with a low around 50. |
| Monday 9/14 Sunny, with a high near 72. |
| Monday Night 9/14 Clear, with a low around 49. |
| Tuesday 9/15 Sunny, with a high near 72. |
| Tuesday Night 9/15 Mostly clear, with a low around 48. |
| Wednesday 9/16 Sunny, with a high near 70. |
The Photo Above Shows Trail Camp on Mt Whitney at an elevation of 12,000 ft.
Most backpackers/climbers on Mt Whitney use this as a base camp for Summit day.
Plenty of great sites already established so it makes for easy setup.2,496 feet of elevation left to gain before
THE FOLLOWING IS THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WHITNEY Trail Camp AT 12,000 FTAs mentioned above, most backpackers/climbers set up camp here before going for the summit.
| Thursday 9/10 A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph. |
| Thursday Night 9/10 Mostly clear, with a low around 42. West wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. |
| Friday 9/11 Sunny, with a high near 55. West wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. |
| Friday Night 9/11 Mostly clear, with a low around 39. West wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. |
| Saturday 9/12 Sunny, with a high near 54. |
| Saturday Night 9/12 Clear, with a low around 36. Breezy. |
| Sunday 9/13 Sunny, with a high near 50. |
| Sunday Night 9/13 Mostly clear, with a low around 34. |
| Monday 9/14 Sunny, with a high near 50. |
| Monday Night 9/14 Clear, with a low around 34. |
| Tuesday 9/15 Sunny, with a high near 49. |
| Tuesday Night 9/15 Mostly clear, with a low around 32. |
| Wednesday 9/16 Sunny, with a high near 48. |
THE FOLLOWING IS THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WHITNEY'S SUMMIT AT 14,508 FT
| Thursday 9/10 A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph. |
| Thursday Night 9/10 Mostly clear, with a low around 36. West wind 8 to 16 mph. |
| Friday 9/11 Sunny, with a high near 46. West northwest wind 13 to 18 mph decreasing to 7 to 12 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. |
| Friday Night 9/11 Mostly clear, with a low around 33. West wind 9 to 15 mph. |
| Saturday 9/12 Sunny, with a high near 45. |
| Saturday Night 9/12 Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Breezy. |
| Sunday 9/13 Sunny, with a high near 42. |
| Sunday Night 9/13 Mostly clear, with a low around 28. |
| Monday 9/14 Sunny, with a high near 42. |
| Monday Night 9/14 Clear, with a low around 28. |
| Tuesday 9/15 Sunny, with a high near 40. |
| Tuesday Night 9/15 Mostly clear, with a low around 26. |
| Wednesday 9/16 Sunny, with a high near 39. |
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Matt 7:24-27 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
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