Eastside Region

Avalanche danger is LOW. Variable and perilous “slide-for-life” conditions are the greatest hazards in the backcountry. Heating of snow surfaces and potential rockfall in steep SW-S-SE facing terrain should be considered as temperatures  elevate and winds ease this weekend. Be on the lookout for unstable snow in isolated terrain and challenging variety of snow surfaces.

A solid freeze last night combined with today’s moderate temperatures (high 20’s to 30’sF) and a bit of cooling northeasterly winds in the morning should keep sunny aspects from becoming a major concern for loose-wet hazards. That being said, it will be another bright and sunny day, so continue to be observant for potential warming of snow surfaces on SW-S-SE aspects, especially in confined terrain where solar input will accelerate surface softening and loosening of rock.

Snow surfaces in the alpine environment are quite firm and have continued to degrade as another round of violent northeasterly winds impacted shady aspects up high Wednesday. If continuing to adventure in the Eastern Sierra, it remains good practice to reduce one’s exposure to cliffs or where a fall on steep and incredibly firm slopes may be un-recoverable. Alpine terrain is wind sculpted and extremely firm as well as severely sastrugied and/or faceted and loose in deep cold zones with less wind affects. Similarly, exposed open snowfields below tree line are equally as smooth and hard except there is more variability and breakable conditions mixed in. A majority of touring, even below tree line, is more akin to a ski mountaineering currently with the need to utilize specialized equipment (ice axe, boot/ski crampons, helmet). On a positive note, faceting surfaces within sheltered trees are providing some “re-cycled” soft turns and have been improving during this lengthy dry spell under cold clear nights.