Sonora Peak | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 11,464 ft (3,494 m) NAVD 88 [1] |
Prominence | 1,816 ft (554 m) [1] |
Listing | California county high points 10th |
Coordinates | 38°21′14″N 119°38′07″W / 38.3538016°N 119.6351721°W [2] |
Geography | |
Location | Alpine and Mono counties, California, U.S. |
Parent range | Central Sierra Nevada |
Topo map | USGS Sonora Pass |
Climbing | |
Easiest route | Hike, class 1-2 [3] |
Sonora Peak is a mountain in the Central Sierra Nevada of California north of Sonora Pass. Located on the boundary between Alpine and Mono counties, it is the highest point in Alpine County. [1] Due to the high elevation, most of the precipitation this mountain receives consists of snow. [4]
There is no weather station at the summit, but this climate table contains interpolated data for an area around the summit. Sonora Peak has a ( subalpine climate ( Köppen Dfc).
Climate data for Sonora Peak 38.3672 N, 119.6096 W, Elevation: 11,106 ft (3,385 m) (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.4 (−0.9) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
32.2 (0.1) |
36.6 (2.6) |
44.5 (6.9) |
54.4 (12.4) |
62.9 (17.2) |
62.1 (16.7) |
56.3 (13.5) |
47.0 (8.3) |
36.4 (2.4) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
43.5 (6.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 21.8 (−5.7) |
20.3 (−6.5) |
22.5 (−5.3) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
33.3 (0.7) |
42.4 (5.8) |
50.5 (10.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
44.1 (6.7) |
35.8 (2.1) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
32.9 (0.5) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.2 (−10.4) |
11.1 (−11.6) |
12.7 (−10.7) |
14.8 (−9.6) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
38.1 (3.4) |
37.3 (2.9) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
18.2 (−7.7) |
13.2 (−10.4) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 7.42 (188) |
7.05 (179) |
6.99 (178) |
3.88 (99) |
2.35 (60) |
0.79 (20) |
0.80 (20) |
0.78 (20) |
0.77 (20) |
2.34 (59) |
4.83 (123) |
7.05 (179) |
45.05 (1,145) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group [5] |
One of the most direct routes of ascent starts at Sonora Pass, 2 miles (3 km) south as the crow flies. Starting at the trailhead of the PCT on Sonora Pass, it is about a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) hike with 1,000 feet (300 m) elevation gain to the top of a pass. From there, the easiest and most direct way is to turn northwest and follow the ridge that will lead to the summit. About halfway from the pass to the peak a small trail appears that heads directly to the peak. [3] A second approach to the summit is from nearby Saint Mary's Pass trailhead. This trail approaches the peak from the other side of the mountain (the northwestern side) and is also a class 1 hike.
To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.