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ALL LANES CLEAR
Last updated at: NOV 15, 2026, 5:56 AM PST · Caltrans
Current conditions, the forecast, and the live road picture for Carson Pass on SR-88, Kirkwood to Hope Valley.
133 - EB SR 88 Pine Grove
Pine Grove|landscape2,575 ft
133 - EB SR 88 Pine Grove
Pine Grove · 2,575 ft
1 of 1
LUMBER YARD
Meiss · 6,512 ft
LUMBER YARD
Grizzly Flats · 6,545 ft
PEDDLER VISTA
Kit Carson · 6,830 ft
IRON MT RD
Kit Carson · 7,604 ft
SILVER LAKE
Pioneer · 7,319 ft
MARTIN MEADOW
Pioneer · 7,621 ft
2 MILES WO KIRKWOOD - CARSON SPUR
Pioneer · 7,972 ft
KIRKWOOD
Kirkwood · 7,811 ft
KIRKWOOD - CARSON SPUR
Pioneer · 7,775 ft
Check Current Highway Conditions
This highway information is the latest reported as of Sunday, November 15th, 2026 at 05:56 AM.
IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA
Chains are required on all vehicles except 4-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires on all 4 wheels from Silver Lake (Amador Co) to 5 mi west of Picketts Jct (Alpine Co)
Incoming storms, road conditions, and resort news, straight to your inbox.
For the full road picture at the summit, see Carson Pass road conditions, with the live status, chain controls, and cameras for the pass.
Check the live chain controls for every Sierra pass before you leave, not just Carson.
Read the chain guide for what R-0, R-1, R-2, and R-3 mean, and what to carry in the car.
For the whole highway, Jackson to the Nevada line, see the full SR-88 road conditions page.
Weather at Carson Pass decides what the drive over SR-88 looks like. The summit is one of the highest paved crossings in the Sierra, between Kirkwood and Hope Valley, so a mild day in Jackson or the Carson Valley can still mean snow, wind, and chain controls at the top. The live weather above and the road status with its Caltrans timestamp, the cameras, and the chain controls below it give you the whole picture before you leave.
What is the weather at Carson Pass right now?
The live weather section at the top of this page shows the current conditions for the Carson Pass area, and the road status above it carries its Caltrans timestamp. Check the two together: the weather says what is happening in the sky, the status says what Caltrans has on the road right now.
Is it snowing at Carson Pass?
Look at the current conditions in the weather section at the top of this page and at the live chain controls below. Snow at the summit shows up as chain controls at Kirkwood, Caples Lake, or Red Lake Creek as soon as Caltrans posts them, and the SR-88 cameras on this page show the road itself.
What is the Carson Pass forecast for this week?
The weather section at the top of this page carries the seven day forecast for the summit area, with an hourly view. In winter, pair it with the storm alerts signup on this page, so a forecast storm reaches you before it reaches the pass.