Avalanche forecast

Central Sierra Nevada

Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

On slopes steeper than 35 degrees pockets of MODERATE avalanche danger may form on the sun exposed E-SE-S-SW-W aspects due to daytime warming. Loose wet snow avalanches will be possible today. While larger slab avalanches remain unlikely, isolated slab avalanches triggered by the today's warming will not be impossible.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Strong April sunshine and temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above freezing will allow wet unconsolidated snow to form on the sun exposed aspects. Northerly winds and some cloud cover will work to limit the snowpack warming that occurs today, but some loose wet snow instabilities like roller balls, pinwheels, and loose wet snow sluffs should still occur. While most of these loose wet avalanches should remain too small to bury a person, they could still push a person into an area with other consequences or could become more serious in areas where terrain traps exist. Larger slab avalanches remain unlikely today; however, they are not impossible especially on previously wind loaded SE facing aspects that receive large amounts of sunshine today.

    If the forecasted cloud cover does not materialize and/or temperatures climb higher than forecast wet snow instabilities (including both loose wet snow and the previously mentioned slabs) will become larger and more widespread.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday observations near Round Top and Grouse Rocks both indicated that the snowpack continues to settle and consolidate. Data did not reveal any signs of instability associated with the recent storm snow or wind slabs. Snowpit data in both places also indicated that the near crust facets (weak snow under an old crust) continue to gain strength.

Snow squalls and wind in both places did cause some new wind loading and formed small new wind slabs up to 3 inches thick by the afternoon. These very small wind slabs did not grow large enough to cause problems for backcountry travelers in either location yesterday.

Regions covered