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Out of date — this forecast expired 12 years ago.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. A winter storm expected to impact the region Tuesday night and Wednesday will cause the avalanche danger to increase as it delivers snow and wind to the area.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Overnight temperatures near and below freezing and clear skies should have allowed another strong refreeze last night. Sun and warm temperatures today will again allow soft wet corn snow to form on the surface on the E-SE-S-SW-W aspects.  Despite this warming, wet snow instability should remain unlikely due to the strong refreeze and the drainage pathways established by a myriad of rain events and melt-freeze cycles this winter. If any human triggered loose wet snow instabilities such as roller balls or tiny loose wet avalanches do occur they should not involve enough snow to cause problems for backcountry travelers.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday observations on Mt. Judah remained consistent with the data taken from other areas during the last 10 days. By noon up to 2 inches of soft corn snow existed above a supportable snowpack consisting of mostly melt-freeze snow on the E-SE-S aspects. Similar conditions existed on the SW-W aspects where snow remained. On many of the SW-W aspects melting had exposed large areas of bare ground. The northerly aspects remained frozen and exhibited no signs of instability.

Regions covered