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 lightening.

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.

Mt Whitney weather in a nutshell for the next 7 days:
After a bit of weather on Friday the forecast is for mostly sunny and clear through the weekend and into next week on Mt Whitney. Below freezing temperatures at night above 11,000 ft, but in the 40s and 50s during the day. The Whitney Portal Road is open and clear.

Latest Trail Conditions as of 5/13:
Trail is mostly snow free. Snow is more significant at higher elevations, and on steep north facing slopes. There is a very small amount of snow below Outpost Camp, and intermittent snow from Mirror Lake to near Trail Camp (11,000' to 12,000'). There are larger and more frequent patches of snow starting near Trail Camp (which will create some postholing conditions due to the warmer temperatures during the day), but hikers are able to locate and follow the trail all the way to the summit of Mt. Whitney. The trail crosses some steep slopes, and may be icy, so crampons and ice axes are recommended. Outpost Camp is snow free, and the creek is flowing. Trail Camp is partially snow covered, the lake has partially melted and its outlet stream is flowing.

May	17	Friday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming southeast 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
May	17	Friday Night Isolated showers before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 8 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
May	18	Saturday Sunny, with a high near 52. North northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon.
May	18	Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph.
May	19	Sunday Sunny, with a high near 51. North wind around 10 mph.
May	19	Sunday Night Clear, with a low around 35.
May	20	Monday Sunny, with a high near 53.
May	20	Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 37.
May	21	Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
May	21	Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 34. Windy.
May	22	Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 54.
May	22	Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
May	23	Thursday Sunny, with a high near 46.

May	17	Friday Scattered snow showers. Some thunder is also possible. Partly sunny, with a high near 39. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
May	17	Friday Night Scattered snow showers before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. North wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
May	18	Saturday Sunny, with a high near 45. North wind 3 to 7 mph.
May	18	Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
May	19	Sunday Sunny, with a high near 48. North wind 8 to 11 mph.
May	19	Sunday Night Clear, with a low around 29.
May	20	Monday Sunny, with a high near 52.
May	20	Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
May	21	Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.
May	21	Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Breezy.
May	22	Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 49.
May	22	Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 27.
May	23	Thursday Sunny, with a high near 41.

May	17	Friday Scattered snow showers. Some thunder is also possible. Partly sunny, with a high near 35. West wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
May	17	Friday Night Scattered snow showers before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. North northwest wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
May	18	Saturday Sunny, with a high near 44. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
May	18	Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.
May	19	Sunday Sunny, with a high near 49. North northwest wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
May	19	Sunday Night Clear, with a low around 31.
May	20	Monday Sunny, with a high near 48.
May	20	Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
May	21	Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.
May	21	Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 31. Breezy.
May	22	Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 45.
May	22	Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 27.
May	23	Thursday Sunny, with a high near 41.

Above Weather Report Powered by the National Weather Service

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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