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Out of date — this forecast expired 11 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche danger remains LOW for all elevations and aspects. LOW danger means avalanche activity remains unlikely but not impossible. Some areas of unstable snow could still exist on isolated terrain features. Some small loose wet snow instabilities may occur on steep sun-exposed slopes today.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    More sunny warm weather today will create wet surface snow on any sun-exposed aspects. The solid overnight refreeze, gradual warming over the last several days, and light east winds will help prevent large wet snow instabilities from forming, but today's warming should create enough wet snow for some small isolated loose wet snow instabilities to form on some sun-exposed slopes. Roller balls and pinwheels should comprise the majority of today's loose wet snow instabilities. Small isolated loose wet avalanches may also become possible on the most sun-exposed aspects. These instabilities should not involve enough snow to bury a person, but they could push someone off course or knock a person over. Large loose wet avalanches and wet slab avalanches will remain unlikely. Wet snow instabilities will be most prevalent on sun-exposed E-SE-S-SW-W aspects steeper than 37 degrees.

Avalanche Discussion

Cold, soft, unconsolidated snow still remained on sheltered northerly aspects in the Castle Peak area yesterday. Snowpit data, ski cuts, and general observations on the NW-N-NE aspects did not reveal any signs of instability and all indicated that snowpack continues to strengthen. Exposed slopes near ridge lines on the N-NE aspects held wind scoured icy surfaces on their upper sections. These scoured conditions quickly gave way to the soft unconsolidated snow down slope from the ridges. A breakable sun crust exsited on some ENE, E, W, and WNW slopes, and wet sticky snow existed in other places on these aspects. On the more sun exposed SE-S-SW aspects, wet surface snow was widespread. Ski cuts did trigger some small isolated pinwheels less than 10 inches in diameter on some steep S aspects.

Regions covered