Hike500: This is the place to get the info!
I see you're from AZ, so maybe you don't know: We're suffering the driest winter ever recorded! So that should answer your snowfall questions. There is every hope that it will all change around and we will get huge snowfalls in February and March, but weather forecasters say it appears dry as far out as they can see. If this continues, Calif is in for big trouble this year.
As for the trail, there is nothing significant to report. It is pretty much the same as the last 10 years or longer.
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how hard has it been to get a permit recentlyThe lottery is now electronic, run by computer. No more filling out a page and mailing it in. Now, you sign onto Recreation.gov, and search for the Whitney Lottery. (Only don't go looking until Feb 1, when they will open it up to lottery entries.)
Since you are hiking by yourself, you will have a better chance in the lottery. Large groups are less likely to get a slot, since the limits are reached about 50% through the allocation of slots. If you sign up for week days rather than Fri-Sat-Sun, you are more likely to get a slot. For the price of $6, you can enter up to 15 separate start dates for your hike.
Now, if you don't get a slot, the unused permits are always available. Try for the lottery first, and if you don't make it, we can give you more info on the walk-ins. (Walk-ins are pretty easy to get for a single hiker, especially Mon-Thur, even during the peak hiking season.)
Here's a good place to watch to keep on top of the info:
Whitney Lottery 2014
