PCT snowpack is tiny
West Coast snowpack is extremely low in places this spring—Backpacker reports some areas measuring as little as 4% of normal—changing conditions on the Pacific Crest Trail. (backpacker.com) That lower snow reduces classic high‑snow travel but raises other risks like rivers peaking early, unreliable water sources and heightened wildfire exposure. (backpacker.com)
Pacific Crest Trail hikers are heading into a low-snow spring that cuts one classic Sierra hazard and raises three others: early runoff, dry water, and fire. (backpacker.com) Backpacker reported April 17 that the Klamath Basin in Northern California was at 4% of its 30-year median snowpack, with fast melt already reshaping 2026 trail conditions. The article said hikers can expect easier travel over high passes than in a big snow year, but less predictable access to water later on. (backpacker.com) California’s Department of Water Resources found no measurable snow at Phillips Station on April 1, and said the statewide snowpack was 18% of average for that date. The agency said the Sierra Nevada likely hit peak snowpack on or near February 24, weeks earlier than the usual early-April peak. (water.ca.gov) Across the West, snow works like a frozen reservoir: it stores winter water and releases it slowly into rivers and creeks during spring and summer. Drought.gov said April 1 snow water equivalent hit record lows in Oregon and several other Western states in 2026, while California posted its second-lowest April 1 value on record. (drought.gov) That earlier melt shifts risk on the trail instead of removing it. Rivers can crest before many northbound hikers arrive, but smaller creeks, springs, and stock tanks can also fade earlier in the desert and Northern California sections. (backpacker.com; pcta.org) The Pacific Crest Trail Association points hikers to a crowdsourced water report and warns them not to rely on caches. The group also says it does not verify every report, which means dry-year hikers may have to carry extra water and confirm sources as they go. (pcta.org) Washington is in better shape than California, but not by much. The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group said statewide snowpack there was 53% of median on April 1, and the Washington Department of Ecology issued a statewide drought emergency on April 8. (climate.uw.edu) Federal drought analysts said warm March weather pushed peak snow water equivalent across Western states 21 to 34 days earlier than normal on average. Their April-through-June outlook also favored continued warmth across the West, with dryness in parts of the region. (drought.gov) For Pacific Crest Trail hikers, 2026 is shaping up as a year with fewer snow traverses and more logistics. The safest plan is less about ice axes and more about checking runoff, water reports, and fire conditions day by day. (backpacker.com; pcta.org; drought.gov)
