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Out of date — this forecast expired 12 years ago.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

    Warmer temperatures and plentiful sunshine should cause enough melting for areas of shallow, soft, and wet surface snow (corn) to form on the sun exposed aspects today. While this wet snow should be more widespread than yesterday due to more melting, last night's strong refreeze and the fact that the snowpack has already been through several extended melt-freeze cycles should help prevent large wet snow instabilities from forming today. Some isolated small roller balls, small pinwheels, and small loose wet snow slides may occur on sun-exposed E-SE-S-SW aspects.

Avalanche Discussion

Colder temperatures and cold east winds kept the snow surface mostly frozen on all aspects in near and above treeline terrain on Mt. Judah yesterday. On sun-exposed southerly slopes sheltered from the east winds below 7800 ft.  enough melting occurred for 1 to 2 inches of soft wet corn snow to form on the surface of the E-SE-S-SW aspects by noon. This wet surface snow existed on top of layers of strong, supportable, and frozen melt freeze snow. No signs of wet snow instabilities were observed prior to 2 pm and observations on the northerly aspects indicated a stable snowpack with variable surface conditions that mostly consisted of crusts and wind scoured surfaces.

Regions covered