Avalanche forecast

Central Sierra Nevada

Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Cloud cover and strong winds should keep the snow cooler today and limit the amount of potentially unstable wet snow that could form. Still, watch out for changing conditions and be willing to adjust your travel plans if you see different weather or snow than expected. 

A winter storm will impact the area starting tonight, and the avalanche danger will increase quickly due to intense snowfall and strong winds. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Cloud cover last night kept temperatures above freezing in many areas and likely prevented the snowpack from experiencing a strong refreeze. Still, continued cloud cover and strong winds today should limit the amount of additional wet snow that forms. While some roller balls or pinwheels may occur today, larger, more problematic wet loose avalanches should remain unlikely. If rain does fall on the snowpack this afternoon, enough wet snow might form in some areas for some isolated wet loose snow to slide downhill.  

    Pay attention to conditions while traveling through the mountains today. If the weather or snow conditions change faster or more than expected, be willing to change your plans accordingly and back off of steep slopes or move away from slopes where deeper wet snow has formed. 

Avalanche Discussion

Several cornices have collapsed in recent days, and many still linger along the ridgelines. Strong winds and increased cloud cover should lead to fewer cornice failures today, but these events remain difficult to predict and often surprise people when they occur by breaking well away from their perceived edges. Even though cornice failures may have become more unlikely, it still makes sense to give the remaining cornices a wide berth.

As more snow and wind impact the forecast area tonight, cornices will reform, wind slabs will build, and new snow will accumulate on crusts and weak surface snow. Expect the avalanche danger to increase quickly during the night. 

Regions covered