Weather in Eastern Sierra is Exceptional, Idyllic
Update: there is probably a 3-4 day window for seeing things before a storm happens. I’m remaining up here for 3 or 4 more days and shooting in unprecedented November comfort, then I’ll return home with loads of good material. I have one day available for a photo tour ($800 for one day, dawn to dusk with me one-on-one).
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Cold nights, but barely—perhaps 28°F, with days warming at 10000' elevation as high as 60°F in sunny locations (but much colder in shade). It’s so warm that ice formed 10 days ago has largely melted in sun-exposed areas.
In other words: conditions are idyllic and awesome and... almost no one is there—maybe 3 people including me all day in this area. All those people on the meteoric airplane have no idea how crappy civilization is by comparison.
Check weather reports, but if these conditions hold, this is one of the warmest and most beautiful Novembers I have ever seen in 30 years in the Yosemite area. Get up there if you can, ASAP! There are very few outdoor experiences that can match these conditions. But check weather predictions first, just in case a storm moves in, which will close off this high country until next spring. Temperatures could easily drop 40°F, as they did in late September.
Ice formed overnight on the lake has been largely melting by mid-afternoon. Ice skaters should hold off a week or two for a cold snap, though there is thicker and almost skateable ice at higher elevations in shaded areas.
The full 60MP version of this image can be viewed in Examples: Twenty Lakes Basin.