Mt Rainier Wildflowers...a bust?

June 16 and still a lot of snow on Chinook Pass. Is it too early to predict a bad year?

Yup, too early...

Considering that it's common for the area to still be under a blanket of snow through mid-July (the photograph linked here -- which wound up taking second place in a "visions of winter" contest -- was actually taken on July 9 a few years ago), it is still way too early to tell. Normally, prime wildflower time is the first week of August around Tipsoo Lake, and a week or two later at Paradise. You may get a good bloom at Sunrise in mid-to-late July, but that location is normally drier than the rest of the mountain.

Whew! I thought it was way too soon. Scared me, Ken! I'm looking forward to it too much this year to miss it.

Good to hear from others. I am longing for sunshine and some trail hiking in the mountains...this late spring snow and rain was getting me wondering about wildflowers.

I've been pondering this year's bloom quite a bit as well, as I have a couple shots I'm hoping to get that didn't work out last season. Maybe this is my high-hopes talking, but, I have been thinking the late spring snow might make up for the lack of snow during winter. The major water supply for the flowers is the melting snowpack, no? So, since the winter didn't provide, the spring may have made up for it a little? Are my assumptions wrong here?

Either way, I'm excited for summer. Although I'm always excited for summer until I remember the 100 degree temps and mosquitoes.