Central Sierra Nevada

Lawinenprobleme

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Hochgebirge
  • Waldgrenze
  • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze

  Wahrscheinlichkeit

  Possible

  Größe

  1

  Last night temperatures cooled a few degrees compared to previous nights and dipped into the mid to upper 30's above 8000 ft. and upper 30's and low 40's below 8000 ft. These still above freezing temps and the more consistent blanket of cloud cover last night should have prevented the snowpack from undergoing much of a refreeze in most areas. Some places may have experienced a weak refreeze in areas where pockets of colder air existed. Since the cloud cover should start to dissipate today and temperatures should rise into the upper 40's again, any refreeze that did form last night should quickly melt leaving wet snow in any areas where snow exists. Human triggered loose wet avalanches will remain possible today on all aspects on slopes 37 degrees and steeper.

  Since most of the snow has melted away from the SE-S-SW-W aspects, wet snow instabilities will remain confined to the isolated areas where snow cover exists on these aspects. NW-N-NE-E aspects hold the best chances for finding wet snow instabilities today since snow cover remains more consistent on those aspects. Even though these kind of avalanches may not involve enough snow to bury a person, they can push people into areas that would have serious consequences. Keep in mind that secondary terrain hazards such as cliffs and terrain traps hold the potential to greatly magnify consequences of an avalanche that would otherwise be too small to bury or injure a person.

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Hochgebirge
  • Waldgrenze
  • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze

  Wahrscheinlichkeit

  Unlikely

  Größe

  2

  Wet slab avalanches still remain unlikely in most places, but 4 nights in a row without a solid refreeze, another day of warm weather, and deep wet snow on all aspects where snow exists means that wet slab avalanches may become possible on isolated terrain features. Since the snowpack has already been through so many melt-freeze cycles this year, the potential for these kind of avalanches should remain confined to isolated areas where the most wet snow exists and where a good bed surface (like a granite slab) exists below the wet snow. Use clues like shin deep wet snow and loose wet snow instabilities to help decide when to leave the snow and head for other activities.