Avalanche forecast

Eastside Region

Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Temperatures continue to increase today as spring weather sets in. Surface snow is still adjusting to recent daytime warming, creating the potential for wet snow avalanches. Be careful traveling on or below steep mountainsides once the surface snow begins to melt in the heat of the day.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Temperatures will be warmer today with mostly sunny skies and decreasing winds.  Surface snow will become wet and prone to wet loose avalanches on most slopes, except steep, northerly terrain at the highest elevations.  Keep an eye out for early warning signs such as sticky and moist surface snow, upside-down feeling snow, and rollerballs & pinwheels. These are clues that may foreshadow larger point-release avalanches. Consequential areas of unstable snow are more likely in areas with higher snow accumulations from yesterday’s storm. A skier-triggered wet loose avalanche on Table Mountain from Saturday is a good reminder not to underestimate the consequences of being involved in a wet loose avalanche.  Avoid travel in the runouts of steep snowy slopes that are being warmed by the sun. Be prepared to retreat to more shaded aspects if surface warming reaches concerning levels.

    Multiple small wet loose avlanches on an east aspect at 13,000'. 4/21/23.

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    High-elevation north winds over the past 48 hours may have drifted recent low-density snow into sensitive slabs. Expect the size and distribution of fresh wind slabs to be greater in areas that had more new snow overnight between Friday 3/15 and Saturday 3/16. This problem will most likely be found above 11,500' in areas south of Mammoth Lakes.  Winds are decreasing and shifting to the east today. The presence or absence of blowing snow over summits and ridges will give a clue as to whether wind slabs are continuing to build today or are slowly gaining strength.  Large drifts, recent cornice growth, hollow upside-down feeling snow, and uneven snow surfaces are all clues that indicate slabs may be present in nearby terrain. Do your own localized assessments and be on alert around terrain features that encourage drifting, such as the leeward sides of ridgelines, alpine couloirs, gully features, and cross-loaded depressions.

    (2/25/2024)

    Skier triggered wind slab in the Tungstar bowl 2/25 - Pine Creek Area

Avalanche Discussion

Recent avalanche activity: On Saturday, a skier triggered, and was caught and carried by a small wet loose avalanche on an NE aspect below treeline on Table Mountain. In the past 24 hours several more small wet loose avalanches were reported near and below the treeline.

Overnight, between Friday 3/15 and Saturday 3/16, 5 to 10" of low-density snow fell in drainages south of Mammoth Lakes.  This snow has been slowly settling and adjusting to above-freezing temperatures and solar warming over the past 48 hours. Below treeline a melt-freeze cycle occurred overnight last night. Above treeline, the snow was protected and cooled by northerly winds and partly cloudy skies. Wind slabs in the alpine are most likely to be found above 11,500' where north winds were strongest.  The lack of upper elevation wind data from Bishop Creek (where there is plenty of snow available for transport in alpine terrain) leaves a significant onus on the individual to make localized evaluations of wind slab hazard above treeline, especially south of Mammoth Lakes.

The size and number of wet loose avalanches today depends on several factors. Snowpack factors such as recent unconsolidated snow over hard sliding surfaces in southern drainages, fewer clouds forecasted today than yesterday, and the high sun angle this time of year in southern California point to the potential for widespread wet loose avalanche activity. These red flags are mitigated by the snow at lower elevations having had 48 hours of gradual warming and clearing skies to adjust to increasing temperatures, and upper elevation snow having had 48 hours to settle and consolidate. 

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