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Out of date — this forecast expired 11 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

This morning the avalanche danger is LOW due to a solid overnight refreeze. By this afternoon pockets of MODERATE danger could form on isolated SE-S-SW-W aspects that still have snow, sun-exposed E aspects, and slopes on any aspects that actually receive rain today. Daytime warming and a chance of isolated rain showers may allow enough wet snow to form in these areas for small human triggered loose wet avalanches to become possible on slopes 37 degrees and steeper.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Last night's colder temperatures and clear skies should have allowed the snowpack to undergo a strong refreeze for the first time in several days. A lack of snow on most SE-S-SW-W aspects, the stronger overnight refreeze, the cooling effects of the light east winds, and the existence of well established drainage channels that allow water to efficiently exit the snowpack should all work together to keep large widespread wet snow instabilities at bay today. On the other hand, the March sunshine and warmer temperatures may create enough wet snow for some small loose wet snow instabilities to form on the E aspects and on the isolated SE-S-SW-W aspects where snow does remain. Some wet snow instabilities may also form on isolated NW-N-NE aspects if they receive rain today. However, most of the northerly aspects should not experience enough warming for significant wet snow to form since the rain/thunderstorms should remain scattered and isolated.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday on Castle Peak and Andesite Ridge evidence of a refreeze existed during the morning. N and NE aspects held a frozen surface crust with 1-2 ft of wet snow below it. E aspects held similar conditions before 10 am. This refreeze had already started to melt away by 10:30 am. By noon unsupportable wet snow up to 18 inches deep had formed on some E aspects while other E aspects held a few inches of corn snow on top of a melt freeze crust that could still support a skier. Exposed ground dominates the SE-S-SW-W aspects where only a few small patches of snow remain. The NW-N-NE-E aspects still hold decent snow coverage.

Regions covered