Central Sierra Nevada

Avalanche problems

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  1

  A thin refreeze may have occurred during the night after the cloud cover dissipated since the snowpack could radiate heat out into the clear night sky. Today's warm weather and strong sunshine will quickly melt through the thin refrozen surface and expose deep wet snow. The E-SE-S aspects should melt first followed by all other aspects as the day warms up. Loose wet avalanches will become possible on steep slopes once the surface crust melts. Some of these could entrain enough snow to bury or injure a person especially on large steep slopes or in areas where terrain traps exist. 

  Recreating on on lower angle terrain without steep slopes above once the snow becomes soft and wet represents one way to avoid loose wet avalanche problems. Starting early to try and catch the short window of supportable snow and finishing before the snow becomes deep and wet is another. 

• 

  Glide Cracks

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  1

  Warm sunny weather will continue to weaken the cornices that exist along many ridgelines. Large pieces could break off of these overhanging waves of snow as they melt. These blocks of snow could injure a person or may trigger loose wet avalanches or wet slab avalanches when they impact the slopes below them.

  Cornices often break farther back from their edges than expected or at unexpected times. Staying far away from the edges of cornices and not traveling underneath cornices can help avoid this problem.