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Out of date — this forecast expired 9 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

The avalanche danger should remain LOW today on a regional scale. Some very small, shallow wind slabs may exist on a few isolated terrain features in the most heavily wind-loaded areas in near and above treeline terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Due to the minor amounts of new snow received over the last 36 hours, avalanche activity large enough to bury a person should remain unlikely on a regional scale again today. In isolated areas where the most new snow fell and the most E-NE wind-loading occurred, some small wind slabs may exist near ridgelines on isolated terrain features. The exposed NW aspects represent the best places to find these isolated small wind slabs, but they may also exist on W-SW-S-SE aspects in the few areas where there was previous snow cover on those aspects. Any of these wind slabs should remain very shallow and should not extend more than a few feet from the ridgelines. 

    Other dangers like falls on frozen crusts / scoured surfaces, collisions with some of the numerous exposed obstacles, or both still exist. Continue to plan travel in the backcountry to minimize risks.

Avalanche Discussion

* Small winds slabs existed on isolated NW aspects near ridgelines above Slab Cliffs (Mt. Rose backcountry) yesterday. Ski kicks on these small wind slabs did result in minor cracking. The largest of these wind slabs measured 4 to 6 inches in depth and only extended downslope from the ridgelines 12 to 18 inches.

*  Yesterday in the Incline Lake Peak and Slab Cliffs areas "dust on crust" conditions existed on any aspects (E-SE-S-SW-W) where firm melt-freeze crusts existed prior to the storm and "dust on breakable crusts" conditions existed on slopes (NE and NW and some N aspects) where breakable crusts existed prior to the storm.

* Some soft, cold, unconsolidated snow still lingered below the surface snow on sheltered untracked N aspects in the Slab Cliffs area yesterday. 

 

Regions covered