Lawinenlagebericht

Eastside Region

Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Fri
Hochgebirge
4 · Gross
Waldgrenze
4 · Gross
Unterhalb
4 · Gross
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Kernpunkte

Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist today. Large natural avalanches are likely at all elevations. Travel in or beneath avalanche terrain is not recommended. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Storm Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Very Likely
    Größe
    1–2

    The storm came in around 10 pm and has delivered up to 1.65" of SWE, and 15.5" of snow in favored areas as of 6:30 am. We can expect periods of intense snowfall to continue throughout today. Storm slab instabilities are very likely at below and near treeline elevations on all aspects. Even a relatively small storm slab may step down into buried weak layers, initiating a large persistent slab avalanche. Your best bet for managing this hazard is to avoid traveling in and beneath avalanche terrain. 

    On a day like today, it's worthwhile to be heads up to the potential for storm instabilities around town. Be wary around steep road cuts and underneath rooflines.

    (2/4/2024)

    Shooting cracks. failure plane within the new snow

    Photo: Steve Mace

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Very Likely
    Größe
    1–2.5

    Strong to extreme winds will continue to accompany intense rates of snowfall today, creating unstable wind slabs at near and above treeline elevations on leeward aspects. Poor visibility will make identifying large drifts difficult. Avoid travel on or below steep, open slopes, and be weary of sheltered areas with wind-loaded avalanche paths above you.  With various buried weak layers present in our snowpack, these avalanches may break wider than expected, and could step down to  produce a very large persistent slab avalanche.

     

    Photo: Steve Mace

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1.5–3.5

    We have weak layers of sugary snow buried within our current snowpack at all elevations, and in most regions of the forecast zone. We saw ample avalanche activity on these layers during the last loading event,  and we can expect to see activity on these layers again during this storm. Persistent avalanches are very difficult to manage. They can be remotely triggered and break in unpredictable ways, often wider than expected. You could trigger a large avalanche, breaking on buried weak layers, from terrain below that you may typically think of as safe. With the intense loading that will occur during today's storm, we are expecting these avalanches to occur naturally and to be very large. Travel in, near,  and beneath avalanche terrain is not recommended. 

    Persistent Slab avalanche that released in steep rocky start zone with shallow snow cover.

Avalanche Discussion

Our current storm system rolled in late last night, and has already produced up to 1.65" SWE and 15.5" in Mammoth as of 6:30 am. Current snow rates are showing up to 5 inches per hour in favored areas. 

Today's key message is - we have a weak snowpack that extends across our forecast region, and it is being actively loaded, very quickly. Regardless of the avalance type, we can expect large natural avalanches to occur at the surface, and on weak layers buried in the snowpack. Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist, and traveling in, beneath, or near avalanche terrain is not recommended. 

 

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