Avalanche forecast

Central Sierra Nevada

Sierra Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Cloudy skies should keep most wet, loose avalanches unlikely today. Still, a few rollerballs, pinwheels, or small wet snow sluffs might occur. If the sun breaks through the clouds, unstable wet snow could become more widespread. Exercise caution if traveling in steep terrain where wet snow exists. 

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–1.5

    Overnight lows in the 20's should have allowed most of the wet snow that formed yesterday to refreeze. Increased cloud cover today should help limit the amount of wet snow that forms and make most wet loose avalanches unlikely. Still, it may warm up enough for some rollerballs, pinwheels, and small sluffs of loose wet snow to occur on steep slopes, especially if the sun breaks through the clouds for any time. The cloud cover may also allow any warming that does occur today to spread to more northerly aspects. 

    Small sluffs of wet snow might still knock a person off balance or alter an intended travel path. Use caution if traveling in places where small wet loose avalanches might push you into terrain traps such as rocks, trees, or over cliffs. 

    (3/3/2025)

    A ski cut triggered this sluff of wet loose snow on a steep, sunny slope (SE aspect, 8365 ft) around 11:30 am on the Becker-Talking Ridge. It happened during a short-lived break in the cloud cover. 

    Photo: Sierra Avalanche Center

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