Avalanche forecast

Central Sierra Nevada

Sierra Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 10 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

LOW avalanche danger continues today for all elevations. Isolated areas of instability may exist. Normal caution is advised. Avalanche danger is expected to increase Thursday morning.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Ridgetop winds have been moderate speed out of the SW for the past 24 hours drifting very minor amounts of old snow. Blowing snow amounts may increase slightly with increasing wind speeds today. However, new wind slabs of any significant size are not expected to exist in the backcountry today. Cloud cover combined with some mixing out of the air temperature inversion is expected to reduce warming at the mid and upper elevations today by a few degrees. Lesser amounts of snow surface melt on SE-S-SW aspects is expected to occur today compared to what has occurred over the past three days.

    Despite the expected good snowpack stability in the backcountry today, expose only one person at a time to steep slopes and do not group up in low angle areas with connected steeper terrain above (avalanche runout zones). Avoid traveling near cornice edges or stopping below cornice features as large sections of cornice collapse can occur. Large horizontal cracks exist in isolated areas due to snowpack creep. These deep cracks can be covered by thin weak snow bridges presenting an additional fall hazard. See the recent observations section below for more info.

Avalanche Discussion

Observations made yesterday on Waterhouse Peak (Luther Pass area) matched well with other observations from around the forecast area over the last several days. From an avalanche standpoint, the existing snowpack is in good condition to handle new snow loading from the upcoming storm cycle. Some melt has occurred over the past few days on SE-S-SW aspects. Significant amounts of settlement have occurred on NW-N-NE aspects over the past week. Non avalanche specific hazards such as large cornices, rockfall entraining wet loose snow (photo), and deep cracks associated with snowpack creep (video) exist within the forecast area.

Regions covered