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UPDATED @ 0800 Saturday 30th
Just posted a new video to YouTube. Please take a look as it was an indescribably beautiful early morning on San Jacinto Peak. The cloud has cleared but the wind remains strong, with a windchill of 2°F (-17°C).
Sunrise from San Jacinto Peak, 30th November 2019.
UPDATED @ 1655 Friday 29th
It appears to have finally (?) stopped snowing in Idyllwild and at San Jacinto Peak. Idyllwild (at 5550′) added another 1.5″ of snow today, for an astonishing storm total of 21 inches.
San Jacinto Peak remains in the cloud. There was very little fresh accumulation after the graupel downpour early in the afternoon, adding only a few inches for today and giving a final storm total of just under three feet (about 30-35 inches). With strong winds there has been heavy drifting, of at least 40-50 inches in places.
UPDATED @ 1300 Friday 29th
It has continued to snow steadily all morning at San Jacinto Peak, accumulating at about 0.5″ per hour. Conditions have been borderline whiteout for much of the morning. Snowfall got much heavier in the past hour, with an intense graupel storm probably indicating a thunderstorm nearby.
Meanwhile in Idyllwild it stopped snowing after a couple of minor flurries that accumulated to barely 0.5″ this morning. There was even a brief sunshine sighting at about noon.
The power came back on in Idyllwild at about 1300, having been out for most of town for several hours, and it promptly started to snow again!
Newly fallen graupel sitting on top of earlier snow, San Jacinto Peak, at 1245 on 29th November 2019.
UPDATED @ 0955 Friday 29th
See the latest video just posted on YouTube to get a feel for current conditions on San Jacinto Peak and for a weather update.
It continues to snow lightly in the high country, and has restarted in Idyllwild, with 0.25″ accumulating there so far this morning.
Summit hut at San Jacinto Peak, early this morning Friday 29th November 2019 (above), and two days earlier at noon on Wednesday 27th November (below).
UPDATED @ 0720 Friday 29th
White Friday! In what is likely a November record for Idyllwild, another 6.75″ of snow fell at 5550′ elevation overnight, for a storm total of 19.5 inches! In November! It has stopped snowing there (although electricity is out in large parts of town, just to make life more exciting).
At San Jacinto Peak, an additional 8-10″ of fresh powder fell overnight, for a storm total of close to 30 inches, and an average depth around the Peak of nearly three feet. It is still snowing lightly, but bright sky to the east suggests the cloud level is very thin.
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