Weather this weekend for the Eastern Sierra: possible light snow

[MikeH]

From the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, today (Thursday, Sept. 29)

The snowfall accumulation forecast continues to increase for the eastern Sierra Slopes, with 1-3 inches possible near Aspendell and 2-5 inches near Whitney Portal, so those hoping to chase the fall colors should keep an eye on the forecast for this weekend.

[Drew Wiley]

There is no fall color yet, even up high. A bit of extra chill will help in that respect. Among popular aspen color spots, there were significant highway repair delays going over Conway Summit on the Mono Lk side right around the Lundy Lake road. The Rock Creek road is open only as far as the pack station, with little parking area. The June lakes area doesn't even have a hint of color change yet. Not a trace of fall color up at Sonora Pass either. I don't know about Monitor Pass, but probably the same story. The unusually abundant rainfall this year has significantly delayed fall color change.

[DavidFisk]

I'm heading up in a couple of weeks, so I'll post what I find.

[John Kasaian]

One of my favorite locations for autumn color is Beashore Rd, in the Aspens just above Bass Lake. Unfortunately, the last time I was up there, most of the trees were toast from the fires.

[Drew Wiley]

Call Sierra NF for any side road conditions; some of are still out; but the road into Beasore itself should be fine. I haven't had a change to get up into there since the fires. But I have noticed how certain riparian areas on the other side of the River were completely spared, since different kinds of trees were involved rather than Ponderosa pine. Nelder Creek was always pretty in the fall (but last I heard, Nelder Grove is still closed). I've always thought of Bass Lake itself as a miserable mudhole fit for only water skiers, but would have sure liked to see that meadow when it was still a major Indian village. That was dammed for sake of the first hydroelectric turbine in the Sierra, a tiny project compared to what soon followed. That turbine is still on display at Kerkhoff Lk. I rode the little bobtailed school bus which picked up the Indians living way down near where Willow Creek, coming from Bass Lk, met the River. I remember the names of one of them, Jim Dandy (literally). This past Spring, Willow Creek itself was so full that it was loudly roaring down in that hollow, and you could hear it from several miles away.