General Conditions

Weather at Donner Summit has calmed in the past week.  There was precipitation last Thursday and Friday; but it’s been mostly sunny since with only a few clouds.  Daytime highs have risen from 40° a week ago to 70° the past two days.  Overnight lows have risen from 31° to 39° over the same time span.  Find details on the Central Sierra Snow Lab web site (https://cssl.berkeley.edu/).

There are still a few patches of snow in shaded areas at 7000 ft — mostly from roof shedding or driveway/street plowing where the piles have been shaded.  North facing slopes on nearby peaks still have larger patches; some might be skiable, but you’d have to haul your gear to reach them and the runs would be short.   When operational, webcams at Sugar Bowl (http://www.sugarbowl.com/home), Donner Ski Ranch (http://webcams.donnerskiranch.com/), and Boreal (https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/webcams/boreal-mountain-cam/) provide overviews of current conditions on Donner Summit.

South Yuba River flow is pleasant for fishing, but too low for kayaking. Mosquitoes are out when temperatures are above 45°; they can be bothersome around dawn and dust.  Purple Air AQI is 0-4 around the Summit — excellent air quality.

Sunrise/Sunset: Today’s (June 4) sunrise was at 5:35 AM; sunset will be at 8:24 PM.  Sunrise is 3 minutes earlier than last week and sunset is 5 minutes later, so the days continue to get longer by about one minute per day.  By this time next week, sunrise will start turning around — becoming later — but sunset will continue drifting later for another month.  The summer solstice is June 21, when the two cancel and we have our longest day (a few minutes shy of 15 hours of daylight).

Star Gazing: The Moon was full on May 31.  It’s rising in the late evening, staying close to the southern horizon, and becoming slimmer — all making evening stargazing easier.  Look northwest after sunset to see Venus and Jupiter approaching “conjunction”.   At a location with good views to the northwest at 8:30 tonight, extend your arm toward where the sun set, bend your wrist back, and make your fingers horizontal.  Measure three hand-widths up and one to the left.  That’s where you should find Venus.  Jupiter is fainter, but it should be visible by 8:45 PM less than another hand-width in the same direction (higher and more left).  By June 8-9, Venus will be almost on top of Jupiter, then it will continue up and left until reaching maximum eastward elongation from the Sun (setting about 3 hours after the Sun) in mid-August.  There is a web site at https://www.earthsky.org explaining this.  If you have an unusually good view toward the northwest, you may also be able to spot Mercury; it reaches its own maximum eastward elongation (setting about 90 minutes after the Sun) on June 15.   For those with smaller skies, the Big Dipper is almost overhead at 10 PM.  Follow the arc of its handle to Arcturus, the brightest star in the sky overhead.

Fire Safety: Fire danger around the Summit is currently rated as “moderate”.  Residential burn permits have been required since May 1.  Charcoal barbecue operation is generally not permitted June-November, but no notice has been posted yet at https://www.truckeefire.org; nonetheless, be careful with fire.  With one exception, Donner Summit is scheduled for defensible space inspections by Truckee Fire this summer/fall; the exception is Serene Lakes, which was inspected in 2024 and will be re-inspected in 2027.

Forecast

Daytime highs today and tomorrow (June 5) will be in the low 70s, then cooler air moves in.  Expect weekend highs to be in the low 60s (still with sunny skies) before evening showers arrive Monday PM.  The showers will continue Tuesday; Tuesday’s high will be only 49°.  Then sunny weather returns and temperatures rise again.  Next weekend (June 13-14) should see mid 70s and temperatures on Monday (June 15) could reach 80°.  Two weeks from today should be sunny with highs again in the mid-70s.

Summit Calendar

May 21 (Thursday) 6:30-7:30 PM: This hybrid public informational meeting on the proposed cannabis dispensary in the Soda Springs area has passed.  DSA is preparing a web page in its Projects section to provide additional information.  Stay tuned.  For a summary of basic information on this topic, see Dispensary_FAQ_v1.

June 6 (Saturday) 9 AM – Noon: Join with Summit neighbors in trash pickup along Donner Pass Road.  Lunch at the Soda Springs General Store for volunteers.  For more details, click here clean_up_flyer_2026.  Advance signup is encouraged at https://forms.gle/KskLc7f4MAxrEmtk8; but walkups are welcome.

June 18 (Thursday) 5-6 PM:  The June meeting of the DSA Board of Directors at a private residence in Sugar Bowl.   Find an agenda at https://www.donnersummitca.com/dsa-meetings-info/ early in the week before the meeting.  Directions to the meeting will be included.

July 2 (Thursday) 5:30-6:30 PM: Soda Springs Community Workshop on the cannabis dispensary applicant selection process.  Nevada County Cannabis Compliance staff and Nevada County Economic Development Office staff will provide an overview of the selection process.  There will be an opportunity for public comments and questions.

July 14 (Tuesday): Nevada County Board of Supervisors will meet in Truckee.  Final scoring and selection criteria for the cannabis dispensary in the Soda Springs area will be on the agenda.  Location, time, and full agenda will be announced later.

July 20-24 (Monday-Friday): Headwaters Science Institute “Water Week” day camp based out of Serene Lakes.  Aimed at kids ages 5-12 (or counselors-in-training, ages 13-15).  There is a second camp (July 27-30) on plants and wildflowers and a third (August 3-7) on animals and insects.  For more information, go to https://headwatersscienceinstitute.org/science-camp/summer-camps/

August 1 (Saturday) 8 AM: Point Mariah Trail Marathon (~26.4 miles, ±4300 ft vertical, 8 hour limit) starts and ends at Soda Springs Mountain Resort.  There are solo, pair, and team options.  Volunteers to support the event are needed.  For more information go to https://donnerpartymountainrunners.com/point-mariah-trail-marathon/

August 1-2 (Saturday-Sunday): Ragnar Tahoe at Sugar Bowl.  This popular team relay race over three distinct courses was originally scheduled to return in 2026.  But with major construction at Sugar Bowl, the competing Point Mariah Marathon (above), and no confirmation on the Ragnar events web site (https://runragnar.com/), it seems likely that that there will be no Ragnar at Donner Summit this year.

Resorts

Boreal/Woodward: Boreal (the Mountain) is closed for winter activities; but Woodward Tahoe (indoor and outdoor) is getting started.  Open daily 1-8 PM, Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM – 8 PM.  Summer camps start June 8 (https://www.rideboreal.com/summer-camp/camp-overview/overview/).  Check https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/community/all-events/  for special events.

Sugar Bowl (the Mountain) is closed for the season. The Sugar Bowl Kids Summer Day Camp offers a mix of outdoor recreation, skill development, and hands-on discovery.  Camps are tailored for kids ages 4-7 and ages 8-17.  They run Monday-Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM during four weeks in July.  For more information and registration go to https://www.sugarbowl.com/summer-camp?utm_term=5.20.26&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=summer&spMailingID=51760789&spUserID=MTMyMDEyNzA0NDQwMQS2&spJobID=3181793507&spReportId=MzE4MTc5MzUwNwS2

Donner Ski Ranch (the Mountain) is closed for the season.  DSR’s Old 40 Bar and Grill remains open 7 days a week.  DSR also offers beds, showers, and laundry to PCT thru-hikers.  Thru-hikers 21 years and older can claim a 40 oz beer.  Check the DSR web site at https://www.donnerskiranch.com for more information.

Soda Springs Mountain Resort is closed for the season.  Watch  https://www.skisodasprings.com/ for news.

Royal Gorge is closed for the season.  Tapas Friday and Saturday starts in late June.   Check https://www.royalgorge.com/home for updates.

ASC Training Center (formerly Auburn Ski Club) specializes in training for competition and sponsors events.  The ASC Training Center is closed for the season.  Check their web site — https://www.asctrainingcenter.org — for more information.

Kingvale Resort (on the south side of I-80 at exit 171) is closed for the season.

Avalanche Report

The Sierra Avalanche Center has posted general comments on avalanches on its website  https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/

Roads

I-80: The freeway is open and in good condition, but there are occasional lane restrictions and ramp closures (for example, Baxter eastbound) for construction.  Hwy 20 eastbound merge with I-90 eastbound is closed weekdays.  Plan ahead by following CalTrans reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov.  Check I-80 webcams at https://caltranscameras.app/cameras/route/I-80

General: Paved secondary roads around the Summit should be in good condition.  Off Highway Vehicle roads will be challenging as snow melts and muddy sections dry.  There are also a lot of downed trees on back roads.  The Old Donner Summit Road (along the north side of Van Norden Meadow) has serious mud/ruts 100 yards west of Sheep Pens.  Its connector across the railroad tracks to Sugar Bowl Road and Donner Ski Ranch is physically closed.  Rattlesnake Canyon Road (FR85) north from Cisco Grove was closed for four years starting in 2024 for construction at Fordyce Dam.