The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Weather Alert for the central Sierra (including Yosemite). An unseasonable low pressure is moving in over Central California and bringing with it some wild weather. Thunderstorms are expected for the foothills and Central Valley along with snow at higher elevations down to 8500 feet. If you’re going to Tuolumne Meadows or Tioga Pass tomorrow take tire chains, warm clothes and a camera. I’ve never seen it snow in August in my lifetime.
Intellicast.com: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY – HANFORD CA
200 PM PDT WED AUG 5 2009
CAZ096-097-060900-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
200 PM PDT WED AUG 5 2009
…COLDER AND UNSETTLED IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA THURSDAY ESPECIALLY
FROM KINGS CANYON TO YOSEMITE…
AN UNUSUALLY STRONG AND COLD LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL MOVE INTO AND
ACROSS THE SIERRA ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE
CALENDAR SAYS EARLY AUGUST, THE INCOMING WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING
WEATHER MORE NORMAL FOR SPRING OR EARLY FALL. AS THE LOW MOVES
ONSHORE ON THURSDAY, THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF THE
SIERRA, AND WITH THE ARRIVAL OF COLDER AIR, SNOW LEVELS COULD DROP
AS LOW AS 8500 TO 9000 FEET IN HEAVIER SHOWERS.
SINCE THIS IS PEAK SEASON FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE SIERRA
HIGH COUNTRY, THE CHANGE TO A MUCH COLDER, WET WEATHER SCENARIO WILL
AFFECT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE. HIKERS AND CAMPERS NEED TO BE PREPARED
FOR UNUSUALLY COLD WEATHER AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF RAIN AND THUNDER.
IF YOU ARE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY, PREPARATIONS SHOULD BE MADE FOR
THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ABOVE 9000 FEET, ALONG
WITH SUB FREEZING TEMPERATURES FRIDAY MORNING.
PERSONS PLANNING EXTENDED HIKING EXCURSIONS TO THE JOHN MUIR,
PACIFIC CREST AND OTHER HIGH COUNTRY TRAILS SHOULD EITHER DELAY
PLANS UNTIL THE WEEKEND OR BRING EXTRA WINTER WEATHER GEAR FOR THE
THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY TIME PERIOD.