Central Sierra Nevada

Pockets of MODERATE danger still exist on wind loaded slopes 35 degrees and steeper on NW-N-NE-E-SE aspects in near and above treeline terrain. Human triggered wind slab avalanches remain possible in some areas on these slopes especially on unsupported slopes, slopes with steep rollovers, couliors, and in complex and/or extreme terrain. The largest wind slabs exist south of Hwy. 50 where more snow fell. Some small loose wet avalanche activity may also occur today if the sun breaks through the clouds or temperatures climb higher than forecasted.

Near Frog Lake on Carson Pass, ski cuts on several N-NE facing, wind loaded test slopes resulted in shooting cracks and or wind slab failures. Steep and/or unsupported slopes proved the easiest to trigger. Slopes with good compressive support were much more difficult to trigger. A small piece of cornice dropped onto a slightly larger slope caused a small wind slab avalanche in this area yesterday. Snowpit tests at the site of that avalanche indicated that the wind slabs remained unstable and easy to trigger. These wind slabs failed on a layer of softer snow at the base of the more dense wind slabs. Wind slabs in this area looked to range between 8 and 18 inches in depth. Across the pass on Red Lake Peak, snowpit data from another party indicated signs of lingering weakness within storm snow as well at the interface between the old and new snow on the N aspects above Crater Lake. This party opted to come down the more E and SE facing highway side of the peak. Farther north on Andesite Ridge, ski cuts on one previously undercut, wind loaded, NE facing test slope also triggered a small 6-8 inch wind slab failure and some minor shooting cracks. In non-wind affected terrain on Andesite Peak, observations and data did not reveal any signs of instability.