Current conditions for popular backcountry routes. Updated daily from NWS, SNOTEL, avalanche.org, and USGS.
Cascades, WA
Daylight is your biggest constraint — under 10 hours with sunset at 4:44 PM means the traverse needs tight timing or a split across 3 days. Wednesday night brings 68% chance of mixed rain/snow, so plan to be in camp with shelter sorted before dark that evening. Otherwise, conditions are reasonable for experienced parties.
Cascades, WA
Sub-freezing temps the entire trip with a snow event hitting Wednesday night into Thursday — plan your mileage so you're not caught in the open during the storm. The short daylight window (under 10 hours, dark by 4:50 PM) is your most important logistics variable right now.
Cascades, WA
Tuesday is your weather window — use it. A storm moves in Wednesday with 98% precip overnight and light snow through Thursday, so your summit bid needs to be complete before Wednesday afternoon. Daylight is tight at under 10 hours; plan an alpine start no later than midnight Tuesday to give yourself room to summit and descend before the storm arrives.
Cascades, CA
Tuesday has an 81% precip chance with light snow and SSE winds — that's your primary weather concern for summit day. Wednesday clears to mostly sunny with light north winds and is your best window. Start no later than midnight Tuesday night to summit and descend before any residual instability develops on new snow.
Cascades, WA
It's early November and there's literally no snow at any SNOTEL station — Annie Springs at 6,021 ft is sitting at 0 inches depth with 0.2" SWE. There's nothing to ski right now. Check back after the Wednesday night/Thursday precip event, which could lay down the season's first meaningful snow at elevation.
Elk Mountains, CO
Snow on the passes is your main concern — Considerable avalanche danger across all elevations with Wednesday's storm adding new snow to an already loaded early-season snowpack. The Four Pass Loop crosses four 12,000+ ft passes; Wednesday's 88% precip chance means you'll likely be crossing at least one or two in deteriorating conditions. Plan your schedule to be off the exposed passes before Wednesday afternoon.
Elk Mountains, CO
Wednesday's storm is the trip-defining variable — snow showers with 89% precip probability hit Wednesday and Wednesday night, then it clears Thursday. Plan your summit bid for Thursday when skies open up. Considerable danger across all elevations with no specific problems identified, but that rating still demands you treat the knife ridge and Daly Saddle approach with respect on snow-covered rock.
Front Range, CO
Good conditions window Tuesday and Thursday, with Wednesday bringing a chance of snow showers — plan your summit bid for Tuesday or Thursday. Daylight is your real constraint: with sunset at 4:58 PM, you need to be moving by 3 AM to summit and descend safely. Stream crossing data in the raw feed is from California gauges and irrelevant to this route.
Front Range, CO
Low danger across all elevations with no identified problems — clean bulletin for early season. The real story is snowpack: SNOTEL stations at Berthoud are showing 0 inches of snow depth, so you're touring on bare or near-bare ground. Wednesday brings a 59% chance of snow showers that could lay down a thin early-season base, but don't expect skiable conditions this trip.
Grand Canyon, AZ
Weather is near-perfect for R2R this week — low 70s, no precip, no fires. The real constraint is daylight: 10h 38m means a 21-mile rim-to-rim at any reasonable trail running pace requires a pre-dawn start or you're finishing in the dark. Plan your start time around Sunset at 5:32 PM and have a headlamp. Stream gauge data shown is from Central California and doesn't apply here — ignore it.
Grand Canyon, AZ
Good conditions window for the canyon this week — stable weather, no storms, no fires. The USGS stream gauges in the data don't correspond to Bright Angel Creek, so treat water sources as unverified; confirm flow at the trailhead. Short November days (5:32 PM sunset) are your main logistics constraint — plan your camp arrivals accordingly.
Sawatch Range, CO
Snow showers Wednesday with 85% precip probability and lows in the mid-teens make this a cold, committing overnight — manageable for experienced winter backpackers but not a casual late-season trip. Stream crossing data returned gauges from central California, not the Collegiate Peaks, so treat crossing info as unavailable; expect frozen or low flows given the temps. Go, but plan Wednesday's camp before the snow moves in.
Sawatch Range, CO
Tuesday is runnable but cold — dress for 16°F overnight if you're doing a multi-day push. Wednesday is the problem: 90% precip and snow showers mean you will get hit above treeline, likely on Hope Pass or Powerline. Plan your Wednesday miles around being below treeline by midday or shift that day's segment entirely.
Sierra Nevada, CA
Good weather window with cold nights and manageable winds — solid late-season backpacking conditions. The stream flow gauges in this dataset are from the Coast Ranges and Central Valley, not the Sierra, so treat them as unreliable proxies for JMT crossings. Main thing to manage is the short daylight window: sunset at 4:55 PM means you're in camp by 4 PM or you're hiking in the dark.
Sierra Nevada, CA
Cold but doable — nights will drop to 17°F with wind, so sleep system matters. The stream gauge data in this briefing is from monitoring stations nowhere near Whitney and should be ignored. Short daylight window (sunset 4:56 PM) is your main logistics constraint — plan camp arrivals well before dark.
Sierra Nevada, CA
Good weather window for the High Sierra Trail this week — cold but clear after Tuesday, no snow on the ground, no fires, no avalanche terrain to worry about. The stream flow data in this briefing is from gauges far outside the Sierra (Central Coast/Bay Area watersheds) and doesn't reflect HST crossings — treat water sources as unknown and plan accordingly. The real limiting factor is daylight: sunset at 4:57 PM means you're done hiking by 5.
Sierra Nevada, CA
No avalanche rating and no snow at Mt. Rose — the season hasn't started yet. SNOTEL at Long Lake and McNeil Canyon both show 0 inches of depth. There's nothing to tour on right now, and Tuesday's 40 mph SW winds with a chance of light snow won't change that meaningfully by Thursday.
Sierra Nevada, CA
Daylight is your biggest constraint — 10h 37m with sunset at 4:57 PM means early starts are non-negotiable on a Mineral King to Whitney traverse. Stream crossing data is from distant coastal gauges with no relevance to this route, so treat high-elevation crossings as unknown. Weather window looks solid all three days.
Sierra Nevada, CA
Good weather window through Thursday — cold, mostly clear, and light winds. No SNOTEL snow reported at any local stations, so the Mountaineers Route is likely dry or lightly dusted below 12,000 ft, but expect ice and frozen conditions above that. Daylight is tight at 10.6 hours — summit day needs an alpine start by 4 AM to give yourself margin.
Tetons, WY
Cold but clear trip — temps will drop to 17-19°F every night so sleep system matters, but skies are mostly sunny and trails are dry. The stream flow data in the raw conditions appears to be from California gauges, not the Tetons, so treat it as unreliable; Snake River tributaries in November are typically low and non-threatening. Daylight is your real constraint at 10h 10m — plan camps and miles accordingly.
Tetons, WY
Stable weather window through Wednesday with light winds and cold temps — good conditions for a summit push. Thursday brings a 24% chance of snow showers, so plan your summit day for Wednesday and be off the upper mountain before noon Thursday. Stream crossing data in the payload is from California gauges and irrelevant to this route — ignore it.
Tetons, WY
No avalanche rating yet from Bridger-Teton — the season hasn't opened. SNOTEL at Annie Springs (6,021 ft) shows 0 inches of snow depth. There is no skiable snowpack on the Grand Teton right now. This trip needs to be rescheduled.
Tetons, WY
No avalanche rating issued yet — it's early November and there's essentially no snow on the ground. Teton Pass is not skiable right now. Check back after the season opens.
Wasatch, UT
No snowpack exists in Little Cottonwood Canyon right now — SNOTEL at Annie Springs (6,021 ft) shows 0 inches depth and 0.2" SWE. The circuit isn't skiable. A light snow event is possible Wednesday (60% precip, 31°F), but it won't produce meaningful base. Come back after a sustained storm cycle.
Wasatch, UT
Today (Tuesday) is your best window — 47°F, sunny, no precip. Wednesday brings a 51% chance of rain and snow that will make trails wet and slick, so plan your longest effort for today or Thursday. With only 10h 22m of daylight (7:00 AM–5:22 PM), a 30-mile Wasatch 100 segment requires roughly 13–15 min/mile average to finish before dark — start at first light.
Wind River Range, WY
Late-season November conditions in the Cirque — cold nights down to 17°F, short days with sunset at 5:08 PM, and the stream flow data attached to this briefing is from California gauges and does not apply here. Plan your camp by 3:30 PM and layer hard. Good weather window through the trip.
Wind River Range, WY
Early November in the Winds means short days and cold nights — plan your mileage around 5:08 PM sunset. Weather window looks clean for the next 3 days. Stream crossing data in this briefing is mismatched to your location (California gauges, not Wind River Basin) — treat crossing difficulty as unknown and scout every ford.
Zion, UT
Good conditions overall for Angels Landing this week — mild temps, no precip, no fires. The stream gauge data in the raw feed is all California gauges unrelated to Zion's Virgin River, so ignore those numbers. Main watchpoint is the 10.5-hour daylight window: plan your chains section and summit push to have you descending before 4 PM.
Zion, UT
Flow data in the briefing is from California gauges — not the Virgin River — so treat it as noise. The real question for The Narrows is Virgin River flow, which you'll need to check directly with Zion NPS or USGS gauge 09405500 before you go. Weather looks clean and cold: sunny, no precip, highs in the low 50s all three days. Go, but verify flow.
Zion, UT
Good weather window for the traverse — mild temps, no precip, no fires. The stream gauge data in this briefing is from California stations and doesn't reflect Zion crossings, so treat any water crossings as unknowns until you're on the ground. Daylight is your main constraint at 10h 34m — if you're doing the full 48-mile traverse, you need to be moving by first light.