Bulletin d’avalanche

Eastside Region

Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Sat
Alpin
1 · Faible
Limite forestière
1 · Faible
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 5 years ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

LOW avalanche danger exists at all elevations. Watch out for wind loaded snow at the upper elevations on SE thru NW aspects in isolated terrain features. Day time warming may result in sticky snow at lower elevations and some minor loose wet snow instabilities.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Unlikely
    Taille
    1

    Tuesday's snowfall was accompanied by strong upslope winds. These winds resulted in variable redistribution of the new snow at the upper elevations. In many places northerly starting zones were stripped back to old, firm surfaces or bare ground. Winds have been on the decrease throughout the week and blowing snow has been less obvious. However, it may still be possible to find a lingering windslab reactive to human triggering in isolated areas near and above treeline on leeward terrain features, particularly on SE thru NW aspects.  

Avalanche Discussion

  • Snowfall this week freshened up the snow surface in many areas, but was not enough to allow us to totally forget the variable surfaces that 6+ weeks of no snow and strong winds left us with. New snow totals varied throughout the forecast zone from a trace amount up to 6" or so.
  • Strong upslope winds during the peak of the snowfall left us with damaged northerly starting zones and redistributed the low density snow onto more southerly slopes in some areas. These winds continued to rip at the higher elevations following the snowfall and blowing snow was visible when the skies cleared.
  • Near and above treeline you may find some wind affected areas where a textured or stiffened surface could indicate a nearby wind slab on small leeward terrain features. Areas surrounding rockbands; shallow gullies; beneath midslope ridge features and around tree islands are good areas to look for small wind slabs. Evidence of slab development is somewhat scarce, but enough signs are present to keep the possibility on our radar.
  • Be particularly cautious in steep or complex terrain where windloading could be variable. Triggering even a small wind slab in this terrain will be more consequential.
  • Warmer temperatures and decreasing winds throughout the week have likely promoted the healing of any recent instabilities.
  • Warming temperatures will also create some sticky snow surfaces. Be mindful of developing loose wet snow instabilities in the fresh surface snow as the temperatures slowly climb this weekend. Rollerballs, pinwheels and rockfall all indicate a warming snow surface.
  • Firm and variable surfaces are still widespread and in some areas might only be a couple inches below fresh snow. Challenging travel still exists at all elevations. Keep the tools for safe travel on firm and/or icy surfaces such as boot and ski crampons, and an ice ax close at hand.  

Régions couvertes