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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche danger should remain LOW for all elevations due to a good overnight refreeze and cooler weather with minimal amounts of new snow today. Firm icy surfaces may exist on many open slopes. Use normal caution when traveling in the backcountry. 

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Several things should work to keep the snow surface mostly frozen today. These include a good overnight refreeze, cooler daytime temperatures, continued northerly winds, and increased cloud cover. As long as the snow surface remains mostly frozen, loose wet instabilities should remain unlikely. Other avalanche problems like wind slabs should also remain unlikely since the forecast only calls for 1 to 2 inches of new snow today.

    Expect to find variable conditions with icy crusts on exposed slopes and dust on crust conditions in more sheltered areas. While these firm refrozen conditions may result in fewer hazards from sliding snow, they could mean more potential of long sliding falls for people. 

Avalanche Discussion

* Yesterday observations from Hawks Peak, Chickadee Ridge, Incline Lake Peak, and the Blue Lakes area all found evidence of a solid refreeze that remained ski and snowmobile supportable into the mid to late afternoon.

* At 2 pm below 8200 ft on a S aspect on Incline Lake Peak, the refrozen crust would still support a person on skis but had weakened to the point where it would not support a person on foot. Shin deep wet snow existed below the thin crust. 

* Variable snow surfaces ranging from firm exposed crusts to "dust on crust" conditions were observed on all aspects and at all elevations yesterday. Lower angle, wind-sheltered slopes had the most consistent conditions.

Regions covered