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Out of date — this forecast expired 11 years ago.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 that areas of unstable snow can still exist on isolated terrain features. Even though human triggered avalanches are unlikely, they are not impossible. Watch for small loose wet snow instabilities on steep sun exposed slopes and isolated larger wet snow instabilities.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Last night's cold clear weather allowed for a solid refreeze of any wet snow that formed yesterday. As the snow warms up again today, more wet loose snow instabilities could form on any sun exposed slopes steeper than 37 degrees. These wet snow instabilities should become more widespread today as a result of warmer daytime temps, the March sunshine, and a lack of cooling winds. Roller balls and pinwheels should still represent the majority of the loose wet snow instabilities that form today, but some small 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. Larger loose wet avalanches and wet slab avalanches will remain unlikely, but they are not impossible on slopes that undergo the most warming. Wet snow instabilities will be most prevalent on sun exposed E-SE-S-SW-W aspects, but some wet snow could also form on isolated sunny NE and NW aspects today.

Avalanche Discussion

Observations in the Incline Lake Peak area yesterday revealed wind scoured surfaces on the exposed near and above treeline slopes at the ridges on N-NE aspects. Below the ridges on the more sheltered northerly aspects, the recent snow remained soft and unconsolidated. Snowpit data and tests targeting the interface between the recent snow and the old snow layers below it indicated that the bond between these layers continues to gain strength as does the layer of old snow below the recent snow. On the E and some isolated NE aspects a breakable sun crust had formed. On the more exposed SE-S-SW aspects some small skier triggered roller balls and pinwheels less than 8 inches in diameter did start to occur yesterday afternoon.

Regions covered