Mt Lemmon Webcams

Mt Lemmon Webcams: Live Cameras in Summerhaven

Mt. Lemmon has public webcams, and they are all in one place: the village of Summerhaven, near the top of the Catalina Highway. They look across the parking areas, the road through town and the buildings around them. That makes them the fastest way to answer the two questions people actually ask about this mountain in the winter - is there snow on the ground up there, and how busy is it right now.

Below are the live cameras, what each one really covers, and what they cannot tell you. That last part matters as much as the first: none of these cameras look at the highway, so a clear picture from Summerhaven is not the same thing as an open road.

The Live Mt Lemmon Webcams

The camera network around the village is run by the Mt. Lemmon General Store, which is also where you will find any additional views they add. One further live camera covering the summit ridge area is published through the Windy network at windy.com/webcams/1469446737, and Snow-Forecast's Ski Valley snow report publishes snowfall totals for the ski area.

Is There Snow on Mt. Lemmon? Check the Snow Cameras

Most people find these cameras in winter, looking for a Mt. Lemmon snow camera to answer one question before they commit to the drive: is the mountain white right now? The village cameras do work as snow cameras, and they are the fastest check there is - as long as you know what they can and cannot see.

What the snow cameras will show you

Both live cameras sit in Summerhaven at roughly 8,000 ft and look down on paved ground, grass, rooftops and railings. Snow lying on any of that means snow has reached the village itself. What the ground looks like narrows it down further:

• Snow lying on the paving and the road through town. Snow has settled in the village. Expect it on the last few miles of the drive, and expect the village to be busy - snow days are the busiest days of the year up here.
• Snow on roofs, signs and railings, but the paving bare or wet. Snow has fallen and is melting, or has been cleared. Shaded corners and anything after dark will still be icy.
• Bare, dry paving and no white in the trees. No snow at village level. That does not settle the question for the rest of the mountain, for the reason below.

What the snow cameras cannot tell you

Neither camera looks at the summit, the ski slopes or the highway. That produces one mistake worth avoiding:

• A bare village does not mean a bare mountain. Summerhaven sits around 8,000 ft. The summit is 9,171 ft and the ski area runs above the village, so snow can be lying up there while the village itself is clear and dry. If you want to see snow, higher is better - the cameras are a floor, not a ceiling.
• Snow in the village does not mean the highway is open. The winter gate closes the road above Summerhaven at Ski Valley. A snowy picture from town tells you about town, not about the road beyond the gate.
• Nothing here covers the Catalina Highway itself. For the road, use the sources below.

Other ways to check for snow on Mt. Lemmon

Between the two cameras and these sources, you will know more than most people who drive up and find out:

• Ski Valley snow report - published snowfall totals from the ski area, the highest reporting station on the mountain.
• AZ 511 - state road conditions and camera feeds for the highways below the mountain.
• Pima County road closures - updates on the Catalina Highway when it shuts.
• National Weather Service forecast for Summerhaven - the most reliable read on incoming snow.
• Road hotline: (520) 351-3351 - a 24-hour recording, and the only source that updates overnight and at weekends.

Planning around snow rather than just checking for it? Our guide to seeing snow near Tucson and Phoenix covers timing and what to bring, the sledding guide covers the family spots, and travel in the snow covers chains, tires and parking. If the gate is your concern, Is Mt Lemmon Open? tracks the winter closure at Ski Valley, and road conditions covers chains, gas and parking rules.

What the Mt Lemmon Webcams Do Not Show

Being straight about the limits saves a wasted drive. These cameras show Summerhaven, and nothing else:

• They do not show the Catalina Highway. Nothing public does. The cameras sit around 8,000 ft, at the very top, so ice and snow on the switchbacks 3,000 ft below are invisible to them.
• They do not look out over Tucson. Despite the name of the community center view, both cameras face across the village - patios, roads, parking, buildings and trees - not down into the valley. For the long view you want an overlook on the highway, and Windy Point is the classic one.
• They do not show the ski slopes or the summit ridge. Ski Valley has its own snow reporting, and the summit has its own forecast.
• They are still pictures, not video. Each frame loads fresh when you open the page.

So the honest way to use them: cameras to judge the village and the ground, the road hotline to judge your drive, and the forecast to judge the next three days.

How to Read These Cameras Like a Local

A camera pointed at a parking lot tells you more than it looks like it should, once you know what to check.

What you see	What it means
White ground across the paving, snow sitting on the tree limbs	There is real snow in the village, not a dusting. Village ground sits near 8,000 ft, so this is the level the snow line has reached.
Paving swept clear, snow only in the grass and on the slopes	The plows have been through and the lots are usable. Parking in Summerhaven is usually fine once the lots are clear.
Bare pavement with a wet sheen and a flat grey sky	Melting, or rain rather than snow. The pavement will refreeze after sundown, which is why afternoon descents get slick.
A packed lot, cars parked along the road edges	It is a busy snow weekend. On days like this the Sheriff's Department can hold traffic at the base of the highway once village parking fills.
An empty lot and clear ground at 9 AM	Either a quiet day or the road is closed above you. Check the hotline before you assume the first one.

Two other habits worth forming. Look at the trees rather than the ground first - snow holding in the branches means it has not warmed up yet, so what you see now is likely to still be there when you arrive. And check the cameras a second time before you start back down, because the village changes fast on a storm day.

On timing: the Catalina Highway sees road restrictions on average about 5 to 15 days per winter, and they are usually temporary while the plows work. If you can be flexible, waiting a few hours beats being turned around at the base. If you are coming up on a snow weekend, arrive early - the new Summerhaven lot added 75 paved spaces plus 21 more along Sabino Canyon Park Road, and it still fills on the biggest days.

More Live Sources for Mt Lemmon Conditions

• Road status: (520) 351-3351, or Pima County's road closure page
• Village weather and snow depth: the Summerhaven station
• Summit forecast: the National Weather Service point forecast
• All village cameras: Mt. Lemmon General Store webcams
• Ski area snow report: Snow-Forecast
• Fuel: there is no gas station anywhere on the mountain. Fill up at the base of the Catalina Highway before you start climbing.

Mt Lemmon Webcam FAQ

Are there live webcams on Mt. Lemmon?

Yes. The Mt. Lemmon General Store runs the village camera network and publishes views from around Summerhaven, which is what you see embedded on this page. They show the village itself - parking areas, the road through town and the buildings around them. There is no public camera covering the Catalina Highway or the ski slopes.

Do the Mt. Lemmon webcams show snow?

Yes, and they are the quickest way to see whether snow is actually lying in the village. Both cameras look across paved ground, so a white covering there means snow has reached roughly the 8,000 ft level. Snow can fall a few thousand feet lower on the highway before the village turns white, so treat the cameras as a village check rather than a mountain-wide one.

Can I see Tucson from the Mt. Lemmon webcams?

No. Neither village camera looks out over the valley - both face across Summerhaven's patios, roads and parking areas. If you want the long view toward Tucson, that comes from the overlooks on the Catalina Highway, and Windy Point is the classic one.

Do the cameras show road conditions on the Catalina Highway?

No. The cameras cover Summerhaven, not the highway. For the road itself, call the Pima County road hotline at (520) 351-3351 - it is a 24-hour recording and it is the number locals use - or check Pima County's road closure page. Both are linked in the conditions box above.

How often do the Mt. Lemmon webcams update?

The cameras refresh about once a minute at the source. The pictures on this page are a fresh frame each time the page loads, so reload the page to see the latest view. Nothing here is recorded video.

What is the best time to check the Mt. Lemmon cameras?

Before you leave Tucson, and again before you head back down. On snow days the village changes quickly. The cameras are also the fastest way to see how full the Summerhaven lots are - if they look packed on a storm weekend, plan to arrive early, because traffic can be held at the base once parking fills.

Is there a snow camera on Mt. Lemmon?

There is no camera built only for snow, but the two live village cameras work as snow cameras. Both sit in Summerhaven at about 8,000 ft and look down on paved ground, grass, rooftops and railings, so snow lying in the frame means snow has reached the village itself. What they cannot do is show you the summit, the ski slopes or the highway - a dry village is possible while snow lies above it.

Is it snowing on Mt. Lemmon right now?

Look at the date and time stamped into the corner of either camera image and compare it with the clock in front of you. If the two match, you are seeing the village as it is this minute, and falling snow will be visible in the frame. If the stamp is hours or days old, that camera has dropped offline - use the Pima County road hotline at (520) 351-3351 instead.

Is there snow on Mt. Lemmon today?

Two things have to line up for snow to be lying up here: a storm has to have arrived, and the ground has to be cold enough to hold it. Snow season runs roughly December through March, and it can fall from November to April. The fastest answer for today is the village cameras - white on the paving in Summerhaven means snow is lying at about 8,000 ft, and the 9,171 ft summit above it is likely to hold more.

Where can I find a Mt. Lemmon snow report?

The closest thing to an official snow report is the one Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley publishes through Snow-Forecast, which records snowfall at the ski area - the highest reporting station on the mountain. There is no snow station in Summerhaven itself, so the village cameras are the ground truth at village level: what you see on the paving is what is there.