Climate - Sequoia National Park (California)

The climate of the Sequoia National Park is temperate, with cold, snowy winters and mild, sunny summers.
The park is located in California, east of the cities of Fresno and Visalia (which are located in Sacramento Valley). We are in the Sierra Nevada chain, which reaches the highest peak in the contiguous United States (therefore, excluding Alaska), with Mount Whitney, 4,418 meters (14,495 feet) high.
The park is famous for the sequoias (or redwoods), the giant trees that give it its name and are located at high altitudes, but it also presents spectacular landscapes, with valleys and canyons, rivers and waterfalls. In general, sequoias grow at altitudes between 1,400 and 2,000 meters (4,600 and 6,500 feet).
There are two entrances: the Big Stump Entrance to the north, at 1,900 meters (6,200 ft) above sea level (for those coming from San Francisco, via Fresno), which leads to a road (Highway 198 or Generals Highway) which crosses the redwood forest, and the Ash Mountain Entrance, to the south, at 500 meters (1,650 ft) above sea level (for those coming from Los Angeles or Las Vegas).
Just to the north is another national park, the Kings Canyon.
The Sequoia National Forest is a larger area bordering the national park. Within this forest, we find the Giant Sequoia National Monument, a protected area divided in two.
The city of Three Rivers is located at 250 meters (800 ft) above sea level, a few miles from the southern entrance of the park (Ash Mountain), in the valley of the Kaweah river. Here, the climate is similar to that of Sacramento Valley, although it is rainier in winter. The winter is mild, but with cold nights, while the summer is very hot. Here are the average temperatures.

In Three Rivers, rainfall amounts to 630 mm (25 in) per year, and mostly falls from November to April. In summer, it hardly ever rains. Here is the average rainfall.

Let us now get to the park itself. The Giant Forest Visitor Center is located at 1,950 meters (6,400 feet) above sea level. In winter the temperature can drop to -20 °C (-4 °F) or even below. In summer, it can get hot during the day, while nights are cool, and sometimes cold. Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 1,060 mm (41.5 in) per year, therefore it is at an intermediate level. But in the winter months, it is abundant. For this reason, snowfalls too are abundant, in fact, 5 meters and 10 cm (200 inches) of snow fall per year. Snow can sometimes fall even in October and May. Here is the average precipitation.

"General Sherman", the famous sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), the largest in the world in terms of volume, and 84 meters (275 ft) high, is located nearby, at 2,100 meters (6,900 ft) above sea level, in the so-called Giant Forest. It is estimated that it is approximately 2,500 years old.



In the area we find the Wolverton Ski Area, at 2,200 meters (7,200 ft), where 670 cm (264 in) of snow fall per year. A little further to the north, at 2,000 meters (6,500 ft), is the Lodgepole Visitor Center.
At higher altitudes, temperatures drop further. The Tokopah Falls are located at 2,500 meters (8,200 ft). In the vicinity there are mountain peaks that exceed 3,000 meters (10,000 ft).
To the east of the park, in the Owens river valley, at about 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) above sea level (see Bishop, Lone Pine), the climate is arid, and characterized by strong variations in temperature between night and day. In winter, temperatures drop below freezing at night, while the days are quite mild. In summer, temperatures can reach 40 °C (104 °F) during the day.

When to go

The best time to visit the Sequoia National Park is summer, from June to September, since it is the mildest and driest of the year at high altitudes, where the redwoods are found. You will need to dress in layers, and to be equipped for the sun during the day (with hat and sunglasses), but also for the cool evening (and the cold night).
However, it should be remembered that the summer is scorching at low altitudes.
During the rest of the year, and especially from December to March, snow could block the roads, especially those at higher altitudes such as Highway 198. When it does not block them, you can admire the snow-covered sequoias, however, it is mandatory to have chains on board.

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