Summit forecast, next 72 hours
- New snow0 in
- Strongest gusts40 mphTuesday
- Coldest22°F
| Forecast | Snow | Gusts | Temp °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus DayPartly Sunny then Chance Snow Showers | 0 in | 20 mph | High 37° |
| TonightChance Snow Showers | 0 in | 25 mph | Low 22° |
| TuesdaySunny | 0 in | 40 mph | High 38° |
| Tuesday NightClear | 0 in | 25 mph | Low 25° |
| WednesdaySunny | 0 in | 20 mph | High 49° |
| Wednesday NightClear | 0 in | 25 mph | Low 31° |
Snow is the forecast new accumulation at the summit grid point. Dots use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
Typical weather by month
Monthly normals from the long-term stations nearest the summit. None sits exactly on the pass, so each column says how far away and how high it is.
| Month | Monitor Pass 8,310 ft · 1 mi southeast of the summit | Daggett Pass 7,334 ft · 25 mi northwest of the summit | Topaz Lake 5,292 ft · 7 mi northeast of the summit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precip (in) | High / low °F | High / low °F | Snow (in) | |
| Jan | 3.9 | 36° / 23° | 47° / 22° | 5.8 |
| Feb | 3.6 | 37° / 23° | 51° / 25° | 3.0 |
| Mar | 3.4 | 42° / 26° | 58° / 29° | 3.1 |
| Apr | 1.6 | 48° / 29° | 63° / 33° | 0.3 |
| May | 1.4 | 56° / 35° | 72° / 41° | 0 |
| Jun | 0.7 | 67° / 42° | 82° / 48° | 0 |
| Jul | 0.5 | 75° / 49° | 92° / 55° | 0 |
| Aug | 0.4 | 74° / 49° | 90° / 53° | 0 |
| Sep | 0.7 | 67° / 44° | 82° / 46° | 0 |
| Oct | 1.3 | 55° / 36° | 70° / 36° | 0 |
| Nov | 2.0 | 43° / 28° | 56° / 28° | 1.5 |
| Dec | 3.6 | 35° / 23° | 46° / 22° | 4.6 |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: Monitor Pass (USS0019L40S, 8,310 ft); DAGGET PASS (USC00262119, 7,334 ft); TOPAZ LAKE (USC00268186, 5,292 ft). Snow days are days with at least 1 inch of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Cameras, road reports and winter rules
Conditions on the pass change by the hour, so these go straight to the official sources.
Closes for the winter. Caltrans says that “during the winter Monitor Pass is closed eastbound at the State Route 4/89 Junction in Alpine County, and westbound at US-395 in Mono County.” Caltrans District 10: mountain passes
- For this passCaltrans District 10: mountain passes
- For this passCaltrans SR-89 highway conditions
- California · CaltransQuickMap conditions and cameras
- California · winter rulesChain controls
Check the official National Weather Service forecast for the summit and the road report before you leave.
Crossing Monitor Pass? See the summit at the hour you’ll be there
Road Travel times the forecast to your drive, so you see conditions at the summit when you will actually reach it, and get alerts about weather ahead on the way.
Questions about Monitor Pass
How high is Monitor Pass?
The summit is 8,314 ft above sea level, on CA-89.
How far is Monitor Pass from Markleeville and Walker?
By road, the summit is 13 miles from Markleeville, CA and 19 miles from Walker, CA.
Is Monitor Pass open in winter?
No. Caltrans says that “during the winter Monitor Pass is closed eastbound at the State Route 4/89 Junction in Alpine County, and westbound at US-395 in Mono County.”
What is the wettest month at Monitor Pass?
January. The Monitor Pass snow-monitoring site (8,310 ft, 1 mi southeast of the summit) averages 3.9 inches of precipitation that month, counting the water in melted snow (1991–2020 normals).
How cold does it get near Monitor Pass?
The coldest month is December. Topaz Lake (5,292 ft, 7 mi northeast of the summit) averages a low of 22°F then (1991–2020 normals); the summit is 3,022 ft higher.