Avalanche forecast

Central Sierra Nevada

Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

As the day warms up,  wet snow could slide down steep sunny slopes, and overhanging snow along ridges could break loose. Pay attention to the terrain and conditions around you. You can reduce your chance of triggering an avalanche by staying away from areas with overhanging snow and moving to lower-angle slopes once the snow starts to feel wet.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    Sun and warm weather will melt through last night's refreeze and produce wet unconsolidated snow. Once this happens, wet loose avalanches will be possible on steep slopes where the wet snow can slide downhill. These avalanches could grow large enough to cause problems for people, especially on long slopes since sliding snow will entrain more wet snow as it moves. Smaller avalanches could still push a person over a cliff or into some other terrain trap that magnifies the consequence of the avalanche.

    Roller balls, pinwheels, and sinking into boot-top deep wet snow can indicate that enough wet snow exists for wet loose avalanches to occur. Keep an eye out for changing conditions. When the snow starts to feel wet and mushy, it's time to switch to a different aspect where the snow remains cold or move to lower-angle slopes without steep sunny slopes above.

    (3/16/2024) Skiers triggered these wet avalanches on the sunny side of Ralston Ridge yesterday around 11 am. The skier stayed above the flowing wet snow and avoided getting pulled down into the rocks and cliffs. 

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    The cornices hanging off many ridgelines will get weaker as the sun and warm weather melt the snow holding them together. Exactly which cornices will fail and when they will fail remains uncertain, but the consequences of a cornice failure are clear. People could take long falls or get pummeled by large pieces of falling cornices or both at the same time. In some places, the NE winds have scoured material away from the cornices; in others, they remain large and overhung. 

    Cornice collapses almost always surprise people. They fail farther back from the edge than expected and break wider than expected. If your route takes you along a corniced ridge, keep exposed rocks or trees between you and the cornice edge. Also, be wary of traveling on slopes under cornices. It's best to avoid these slopes, but if you have to travel on them, spend as little time as possible doing so. 

    (3/16/2024)

    This large, drooping cornice hangs over a slope in the Blue Lakes area.

    Photo: Sierra Avalanche Center

Avalanche Discussion

The winds and March sun have left variable snow surfaces in most areas, including crusts, wind-scoured snow, and uneven wind-affected snow. Some softer snow may still linger on a few shaded and sheltered N-facing slopes.

Regions covered