Mt Baldy

Icehouse Canyon

Wednesday, Oct 14: High wind. Gusts 41 mph.

Mt San Antonio, 10,064 ft. San Gabriel Mountains, Angeles National Forest. Updated 7 min ago.

StormIceWindColdNew snowa reasoncautionnot a factorTap a day or a symbol for why.

Why today is High wind

  • Storm (not a factor)
    No storm on the mountain in the forecast.
  • Ice (not a factor)
    No snow or ice expected on your route.
  • Wind (a reason)
    Gusts up to 41 mph near the top. That's 40 mph or more: hard to keep your footing on exposed ridges.
  • Cold (caution)
    Feels like 19 °F at the top with the wind. 16 to 25 °F: cold, bring warm layers and gloves.
  • New snow (caution)
    2.6 in in 3 days. 1 to 6 inches.
What we've seen between 6,000 and 10,000 ft: no snow (high confidence together)
  • NOAA's snow map: 0 in at 39 points (Oct 13)medium
  • Satellite, 250 m: bare at 356 trail points (Oct 13)medium

The mountain and your route

5k6k7k8k9k10kIcehouse SaddleIcehouse Canyon trailhead
UpDownSomeone has died here in these conditions1Hiker photoFrom the south: the highest ground at each point across. Routes at their real position and height.

The risks, near the summit

IceLowNone expected
WindVery highGusts to 41 mph
ColdHighFeels like 19 °F
New snowHigh2.6 in in 3 days
AvalancheNo forecastNo avalanche center covers Southern California. New snow and wind: avoid steep open slopes like Baldy Bowl.

Photos from hikers, last 14 days

No photos from hikers yet. Been up recently? A photo and a few words help the next person decide.

From hikers; we check words and photos, not the conditions. The older a photo, the less it tells you; a storm since then changes everything.

From space, last 5 days

Satellite pictures with the trails drawn on. Tap a day to see how the mountain changed.

Satellite picture of the mountain, Tuesday, October 13, with the trails drawn on. No snow seen on the trails.Tuesday, October 13

No snow seen on the trails.

NASA Terra satellite, about 250 m to a pixel: blurry, but every day.

  • Trails (yours thicker)
  • Summit, 10,064 ft

Satellites see snow, not ice: thin ice on rock, and snow in deep shade or under trees, don't show. A daily picture is blurry; a sharp one comes every few days.

How we worked it out, at the summit

SunMonTueWedThuFri
Already there0″0.2″2.3″1.7″0.5″0″
+ New snow+0.4″+2.6″––––
− Melted−0.1″––−1″−0.4″–
− Settled−0.1″−0.5″−0.6″−0.2″−0.1″–
= On the ground0.2″2.3″1.7″0.5″0″0″
Rain1.85″–––––
Low / high26° / 39°23° / 28°23° / 33°26° / 44°33° / 43°29° / 51°
Gusts (mph)443944304656
Froze to crustyesyesyes–––
Hiker reports––––––

Before Sun: 0″ on the ground at the summit (the model runs from October 1). When hikers report, their reports show in the last row and beat the model for that spot.

National Weather Service + Open-Meteo, corrected to the summit's height. We count 90% of the melt we calculate. Faded days are forecast.

What each forecast says at the summit
ForecastLowGustsAir windWater
National Weather Servicein the estimate35°F41–0
Open-Meteo blendin the estimate33°F37320
NOAA HRRR (3 km)being tested33°F37320
ECMWFbeing tested27°F47300
  • The summit low differs by 8 °F between forecasts (27 to 35 °F). The estimate leans to the colder.

Wind in mph, water in inches; "Air wind" is the wind in the air at the summit's height. The estimate on this page uses the National Weather Service and Open-Meteo. NOAA's HRRR and ECMWF are being tested alongside it before they're added. How we combine forecasts

Your times

Wherever you are then, head down. Sunrise 6:54 AM, sunset 6:18 PM.

High wind

No snow expected. Check again the night before.

Your pack

0 of 4 ticked. Tap what's in your pack.

3 in of snow fell at the summit in the last 3 days; 1.9 in of rain fell there in the last 3 days; wet snow or rain freezes overnight into a hard, icy surface. No snow seen between about 6,000 and 10,000 ft since it last snowed: NOAA's snow map and satellite, 250 m agree (high confidence).

Check these before you go

Tell someone your plan

Start 7:00 AM, turn around by 1:00 PM, back by 4:00 PM. Change them in Your times.

The link opens this page with your day, routes and times, so they see exactly what you planned.

What this estimate can't see

  • This is a model, not an observation. A 1 °C error moves the snow line about 500 ft.
  • It cannot see one shaded chute or a boot-packed icy track. Treat any shade as icier than shown.
  • After the first storms of the season, thin ice on rock is common and hard to see. We lean on the side of more gear.

Model 1.2.2. National Weather Service grid LOX 178,52, fetched 7 min ago; Open-Meteo, fetched 7 min ago. How it works

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Conditions that have killed hikers on these peaks

On Mt Baldy today, this one is expected on your route. The number is how many people died in each, on the mountains this site covers, 1958 to 2025, from news and rescue reports.

  • 13High wind on an exposed ridgeGusts over about 40 mph knock people off balance and stop rescue helicopters, so a survivable fall becomes fatal.Stay off the trails during significant weather (San Bernardino County Sheriff).

Trails on Mt Baldy

Mt Baldy: questions hikers ask

Is there snow or ice on Mt Baldy right now?

Ice or hard snow likely above about 10,064 ft. On "Ridge to the summit" that means crampons, ice axe and helmet, and the training to use them. Without them, turn around below 9,600 ft. Coming up: Strong wind on the mountain, Thu, 11 PM to Fri, 8 AM. Estimate from Wed, Oct 14, 6:07 PM, updated every hour. Each trail section's estimate is on this page.

Is Mt Baldy open for hiking?

We found no Forest Service closure naming Mt Baldy's trails as of Wed, Oct 14, 6:07 PM. Closures can be posted any time, so check the forest's alerts page (https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/angeles/alerts) before you go. The National Weather Service has an active alert: Red Flag Warning: Red Flag Warning issued October 14 at 3:37PM PDT until October 17 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA.

What gear do I need for Mt Baldy today?

Today: crampons, ice axe and helmet, and the training to use them.

When are conditions on Mt Baldy worst this week?

Today (mountaineering): Ice or hard snow likely above about 10,064 ft. On "Ridge to the summit" that means crampons, ice axe and helmet, and the training to use them. Without them, turn around below 9,600 ft.

How accurate is this Mt Baldy conditions estimate?

It's an estimate from National Weather Service and Open-Meteo forecasts, the shape of the land, and hikers' photos, not someone standing on the trail. A 1 °C error moves the snow line about 500 ft, and shaded gullies stay icy longer than any model shows. If the mountain looks worse than this page, believe the mountain.