Avalanche forecast

Central Sierra Nevada

Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 9 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

LOW avalanche danger this morning will increase to MODERATE avalanche danger today as loose wet avalanches become possible. If any areas recieve rain today, loose wet avalanche activity will be more widespread in those areas. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully and move to slopes with colder more frozen snow once signs of loose wet instabilities like roller balls, pinwheels, or sinking deep into wet snow start to occur. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Slightly cooler temperatures and widespread cloud cover could work to limit the extent of the wet snow instabilities that form today, but overnight temperatures above freezing, warm daytime temperatures, and possible light rain will mean that loose wet instabilities like roller balls, pinwheels, and loose point release avalanches could become possible again today. While wet snow may be more prevalent on the warmer E-SE-S-SW-W aspects, wet snow instabilities could exist on any aspect today due to the cloud cover and the possible rain. If it does rain today or if the sun comes out wet snow instabilities will become more widespread. 

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday observations from Incline Lake Peak and the Carson Pass area showed wet sticky snow that had not been through enough melt freeze cycles to become corn on the sun-exposed E-SE-S-SW-W aspects at all elevations. Below this wet surface snow cold dry snow still remained. Ski cuts and ski kicks in both areas triggered loose wet instabilities like roller balls and pinwheels. Other natural signs of loose wet instability existed in both areas. In the drainage between Incline Lake Peak and Rose Knob Peak, the skier triggered pinwheels reached up to ~ 8 ft. in diameter. Some areas of soft cold snow existed on N aspects above 9200 ft. on Incline Lake Peak. Below that elevation, wet sticky snow and breakable crusts existed on northerly aspects. 

Regions covered