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Out of date — this forecast expired 9 years ago.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

Avalanche danger is LOW for all elevations. Isolated areas of unstable snow will form today. Loose wet is the avalanche problem to look for and avoid. Slab avalanches are very unlikely today on a regional scale.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Most wet snow instability today will present in the form of roller balls and pinwheels. Loose wet avalanches of size D1 (too small to bury a person) could be human triggered in isolated areas of steep terrain. This avalanche problem is most likely on E-SE aspects where a combination of full sun exposure and continuous snow cover exists. This problem is less likely on S-SW-W aspects due to thin patchy snow cover in many areas, but still warrants consideration.

Avalanche Discussion

* Observations received yesterday from along the Sierra Crest between Pole Creek and Deep Creek reported wet surface snow with some skier triggered loose wet avalanches on steep SE aspects. Avalanche size was not reported. Extremely thin snow cover was reported on S-SW-W aspects in this area. Signs of numerous wind slab avalanches from last week were visible in this area on NE-E aspects near and above treeline.

* Observations made yesterday on Mt. Lola (Independence Lake area) reported around 1 inch of surface wet snow on NW aspects below 8,400' and on E-SE-S aspects up to the highpoint of travel at 8,780'. Snowpit tests targeting potential weak layers within the top three feet of the snowpack on a NW aspect at 8,400' revealed no signs of instability.

* Expect a mix of breakable and supportable crusts to have formed in the majority of areas last night. Only the most heavily shaded upper elevation NW-N-NE aspect terrain will have surface snow that has yet to be affected by melt-freeze.

Regions covered