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Out of date — this forecast expired 12 years ago.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

The avalanche danger should remain LOW for all elevations and aspects today. Continue to use normal caution when traveling in the backcountry.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Similar to yesterday areas of shallow, soft, and wet surface snow (corn) should form on the sun exposed aspects as the day warms up today. However wet snow instabilities large enough to cause problems for backcountry recreation remain unlikely due to another strong refreeze  last night and the fact that the snowpack has been through several extended melt-freeze cycles. Some isolated small roller balls, small pinwheels, and small loose wet snow slides are not impossible on the most sun-exposed low to mid elevation SE-S-SW aspects.

Avalanche Discussion

On Red Lake Peak yesterday, 1 to 4 inches of soft corn snow had formed on sun-exposed SE-S-SW slopes up to 9600 ft. by noon. This wet surface snow existed on top of layers of strong, supportable, and frozen melt freeze snow. Ski cuts on test slopes, snowpit data, and general observations did not reveal any signs of wet snow instabilities prior to 1 pm. Observations on the northerly aspects indicated a stable snowpack with variable surface conditions that mostly consisted of crusts and wind scoured surfaces.

Regions covered