We are heading to DV & Lone Pine from Las Vegas for 2 days in mid-April @15th/16th. We'd like to see Mt. Whitney so originally we were thinking to stay in Lone Pine. But how likely is the weather to cooperate? Will the road to Whitney Portal likely be closed due to snow? If it's open, would we be able to hike for an hour or so up the main Whitney trail or are the trails still also snow-covered?
Thanks!

The weather in mid-April is likely to be quite nice, but ... the road is likely to be still closed. It's maintained by the county (Inyo), and the road to the Portal, as well as Cottonwood Meadows slightly to the south, typically aren't opened until mid-May at the earliest. It's not so much the snow some years, but the rocks/boulders that block the roads.

All's not lost, however. There's a large parking area on the right, just before the gate, and you can then hike up the road to the Portal - allow about two hours. From there you can hike up the trail. This is starting out as a snowy year, so you may need traction (like microspikes). Watch this board, and the Portal BB, as there's usually sporadic reports of trail conditions on the main trail.

Welcome Melody! In March and April, climbing services take a number of groups up, so you will likely find other cars parked on or along the road. As for the road being closed, you can read more here: Road closed to Portal

You are in for a treat, driving through Death Valley and then on to Lone Pine is a great tour.

We'll try to keep the Current Conditions thread up-to-date, so keep checking in.