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Out of date — this forecast expired 13 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Avalanche danger is LOW at all elevations on snow covered NW-N-NE-E aspects. Avalanche danger is generally nonexistent on SE-S-SW-W aspects due to a lack of snowcover.

Avalanche problems

  • Cornices

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    At this time triggering an avalanche is unlikely on a regional scale. Given that the existing snowpack is composed mainly of weak faceted snow that looks nothing like what is typically found in this region at this time of year, finding a localized area of unstable snow is not an impossible scenario. The most likely area to encounter snowpack instability is near treeline and below treeline on NW-N-NE aspects. In these areas, well developed weak layers of faceted snow exist. The degree to which a slab capable of sustaining propagation exists on top of these weak layers is variable from one location to the next. In areas where a significant slab does exists, it has become very difficult to trigger. That said, keep the odds stacked in your favor by exposing only one person at a time to avalanche terrain and by moving from one well established safe zone to the next.

Avalanche Discussion

Recent observations from around the forecast area indicate weak but stable snowpack conditions. The existing snowpack is generally limited to NW-N-NE-E aspects. It is composed mainly of faceted snow, with the deepest snowpack found near and below treeline on NW-N-NE aspects. These faceted weak layers have shown the ability to support the weight of the overlying snowpack plus the weight of a person in the areas sampled. Occasionally, snowpit tests point out that some of these weak layers still hold the ability to propagate if weak layer collapse could be triggered. At this time, triggering the necessary weak layer collapse is difficult to accomplish and unlikely to occur.

Regions covered