Central Sierra Nevada

Avalanche problems

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  1–2

  Pay attention to the snow as the day warms up. Once it starts to feel wet, or you start to see other indicators of wet surface snow, like roller balls or pinwheels, it's time to move off slopes steep enough for wet, loose snow to slide down. Moving to places with colder snow or recreating on less steep slopes can help reduce your exposure to wet loose avalanches. 

  More warm weather today should form more wet snow on some slopes. Expect places that get sun to experience the most warming, but some clouds today may allow this warmth to spread to other aspects as well. As the bonds holding the recent snow together melt, avalanches of wet, loose snow will become possible. These avalanches may start small, but they entrain more snow as they move downhill, so long, steep slopes can produce larger wet loose avalanches. These could push a person into a gully, over a cliff, or into some other terrain trap. Some larger wet loose avalanches could even involve enough snow to injure a person without a terrain trap. 

  

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Unlikely

  Size

  1–2

  Triggering a wind slab avalanche should be unlikely in most places today. Still, an unstable wind slab may lurk on an isolated terrain feature in the most heavily wind-loaded areas, especially if weak snow exists below the wind slab. Stay alert and be willing to change plans if you see any signs of unstable wind slabs, like cracking or collapsing, or feel dense snow over softer snow. Even small, isolated pockets of unstable snow can have consequences in complex or extreme terrain, such as gullies, couloirs, and unsupported slopes above cliffs.