Layering in the Sierras for 35-55 degrees?

Single layer Taslan windshirt, single layer Taslan trousers.
It's above freezing. The amount of clothing you have listed will give you heat exhaustion!

OK, carry one light thermal top for camp.
If there's a real chance of snow, a light fleece might be good.

Cheers

I don't wear many layers while I am hiking, because I very quickly warm up and start sweating.

But don't let that convince you that you don't need warm clothes. Once I stop hiking, I get cold pretty easily. Your layers are just about at the lighter edge of what I would take on top…and on the bottom, I take a warm pair of ski overalls to wear in camp. If I don't I freeze standing around the campsite–or have to get into my sleeping bag.

i've revised my original post to reflect my plan. i dont have temps that cold near me so i cant properly test. anyone else have input? i'm sure i have enough for during hiking, but what about while in camp sitting around?

I wear a thermal under layer under a long sleeve shirt/pants. I keep a small fleece or jacket just in case it gets really cold.

This past weekend I was just in the se-king area and got 2 inches of unexpected snow. It was a cold night. Looks like snow is starting to come in some places.

That sounds good, but you aren't going to be wearing all of that while hiking.
The synthetic hoody is important if you caught in a storm this late in the season. It won't crap out on you while wet.
The down jacket will be useful around camp or for sleeping in.

yeah i figure it's just for camp. during hiking i'll just put it away.

You'll be fine, barring any storms like last week. That's generally what I take. All the insulation comes off once I hit the sun, except maybe the gloves if it's still chilly in the morning. Worst comes to worst, just hop in your sleeping bag in camp.

true. LOVING my new 20 degree zpacks bag. so warm and only 17 oz!

Just want to warn you that most weather sites (weather.com and wunderground.com) don't have the right temperature forecast for Tuolumne Meadows area (they don't have a station there). I've learned that from many Tuolumne visits, including one this past weekend.

Instead, I would check out:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?textField1=37.87111&textField2=-119.36#.UkEamGRstD4

Also, I would bring chains. 120 closed this past weekend for a day.

seems about a low of 28… im going off this forecast at fletcher lake…

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.807071480609274&lon=-119.32388305664062#.UkEgXmRgbIp

Oh yeah! At that link currently shows a temp of 13 degrees (10 pm) and potentially some more snow over next couple of days. We hardly knew ye summer.

Fair enough.. the weather looks clear too. May backpack somewhere out there too this weekend (don't have Friday off or would be tempted to join you). This past Saturday was pretty miserable–lots of freezing rain/heavy snow. But Sunday was absolutely gorgeous. Cold and crisp. Fresh layer of snow. Then it melted and became a wet mess.

yeah, i was supposed to go backpack in desolation wilderness last weekend. i ended up canceling cuz of the rain/snow.

We were at Kearsarge Pass this past weekend, to enjoy the winds and snow storm that snapped in. Out of the tent, at 6:30am, it was 26 degrees and I wore almost exactly what you listed. My feet were cold, but everything else was spot on. The night before, it was 34 outside in the wind and I was fine, albeit with cold air on my legs in some gusts.

My list is: tech-tee, Patagonia Cap-4 shirt, Patagonia down sweater, Mountain Hardwear Dome Perignon, Precip jacket, and then below: summer-weight long underwear, REI Sahara pants, REI mid-wool hikers. Hands were "Head" neoprene gloves from CostCo. That's pretty similar to what you listed.