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Out of date — this forecast expired 9 years ago.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 exists this morning. The avalanche danger will increase to MODERATE as loose wet avalanches become possible due to daytime warming and intense spring sunshine. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully and move to less steep slopes or slopes with colder more frozen snow once signs of loose wet instabilities like roller balls, pinwheels, or sinking above your boots into wet snow start to occur. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Today's intense sunshine and daytime temperatures in the 50's above 7000 ft. should quickly melt through last night's refreeze. Once the refreeze melts, loose wet instabilities like roller balls, pinwheels, and loose point release avalanches could become possible again today. While most of these may remain small, some of them could still entrain enough wet snow to cause problems for backcountry travelers. The steep sun-exposed E-SE-S-SW-W aspects hold the best potential for the largest and most widespread loose wet snow instabilities, but some smaller more isolated loose wet instabilities could also occur on some northerly aspects that receive sunshine. 

    Clues like roller balls, pinwheels, and sinking into wet snow above your boot-tops can indicate that larger loose wet avalanches could occur. Avoid steep slopes where wet snow exists today.  

Avalanche Discussion

Shin-deep wet snow existed on the E-SE-S-SW-W aspects on Castle Peak up to at least 8400 ft. and in Negro Canyon yesterday. This wet snow had not transitioned to corn and was sticky and unsupportable. Ski cuts and kicks on steep E-SE facing slopes in Negro Canyon triggered roller balls and pinwheels up 2 ft. in diameter. In both of these areas, some more supportable snow existed on the slopes that had been heavily wind scoured during the last storm. 

Regions covered