Avalanche forecast

Eastside Region

Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

It may still be possible to trigger a large and destructive avalanche today. Elevated caution is recommended in steep unsupported terrain and in areas with shallow trigger points. Keep your eyes and ears open for warning signs such as collapsing, shooting cracks, or whumphing sounds. Use terrain choice to mitigate your exposure to persistent slab avalanches.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    Persistent Slab problems challenge our patience. Managing this problem requires extensive evaluation and deliberate terrain choice. Northerly and easterly aspects are of greatest concern particularly in steep and unsupported terrain, areas with shallow trigger points, and in areas with generally thinner snowpack. Persistent slab avalanches often propagate across and beyond terrain features that would otherwise confine surface instabilities such as wind or storm slab and in some cases persistent slab avalanches can be remotely triggered from adjacent slopes. Give yourself a wide safety margin, be wary of hazard that may reside above you, and use terrain choice to limit your exposure.

Avalanche Discussion

Uncertainty around the sensitivity of our persistent slab problem continues to be a topic of conversation for the forecast team. Over the past few days, we have been receiving fewer reports of shooting cracks or collapsing in the snowpack and the last reported avalanche occurred about a week ago. These are signs that persistent slab avalanches are becoming more difficult to trigger. However, it remains important to keep in mind that avalanches breaking loose in these lower weak layers have the potential to be very large and destructive. Give yourself wide safety margins and use terrain choice to limit your exposure.

While weak faceted grains in the lower reaches of the snowpack remain top of mind, field reports have also been highlighting faceting at and near the surface of the snow. Loose dry avalanches may be possible today in steep and sheltered terrain.

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