Avalanche forecast

Central Sierra Nevada

Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 12 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

LOW avalanche danger exists on all elevations and aspects. Some isolated and minor wet snow instabilities may form today due to a weak overnight refreeze and the slight possibility of rain on snow. Continue to practice safe travel habits and thoughtful decision making when traveling in the backcountry.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    The limited melting and softening that did occur yesterday may not have refrozen very well last night due to overnight cloud cover and warm nighttime temperatures. In spite of this weak overnight refreeze, significant wet snow instabilities should remain unlikely because today's cooler temperatures and continued cloud cover will mean less daytime warming and less melting. Some small roller balls, pinwheels, or small wet snow sluffs may occur on mid to lower elevation northerly aspects where the surface snow started to warm up for the first time yesterday and did not refreeze overnight. Some of the southerly aspects may soften today if they receive any direct sunshine. If any rain showers actually occur small wet snow instabilities may become possible on slopes that receive rain.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday on Red Lake Peak most areas remained cold and and frozen above 8400 ft. Northerly aspects above this elevation held a mix of firm surfaces and breakable crusts in exposed areas and well consolidated softer snow in sheltered areas. Below 8400 ft. on the northerly aspects, some surface warming occurred due to the widespread cloud cover and produced wet sticky surface snow. Firm melt-freeze conditions existed on exposed aspects facing the southern half of the compass above 8000 ft. Below 8000 ft. on the southerly aspects some minimal surface melting did occur.

Snowpit data revealed that a weak layer continues to form in the snowpack around the uppermost rain crust. Tests on this layer still indicate that it does not pose much of a problem right now, but that if a slab forms above it in the future it could become reactive.

Regions covered