Central Sierra Nevada

Problèmes avalancheux

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  1–2

  Snow conditions on sunny slopes will change quickly as the day warms up. Once the snow starts to feel wet, or you start to see other indicators of wet surface snow, like roller balls or pinwheels, it's time to move off sunny slopes steep enough for wet, loose snow to slide down. Moving to colder aspects or less steep slopes can help reduce your exposure to wet loose avalanches. 

  Sunny skies and warmer temperatures today will allow the recent snow to warm up more and faster than it has over the last two days. This warming will melt some of the bonds that hold the new snow in place, making avalanches of wet, loose snow possible. These avalanches may start small, but will entrain more snow as they move downhill, so long, steep, sunny slopes could produce larger wet loose avalanches. These could push a person into a terrain trap, like a gully or over a cliff. Some larger wet loose avalanches could even involve enough snow to injure a person without a terrain trap. 

  

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Unlikely

  Taille

  1–2

  Triggering a wind slab avalanche should be unlikely in most places today. Still, an unstable wind slab may lurk on an isolated terrain feature in the most heavily wind-loaded areas, especially in complex or extreme terrain like gullies, couloirs, and unsupported slopes above cliffs. Last night's east wind may have also moved some snow across a few of the ridges, but it should not have been enough to form larger wind slabs. Keep an eye out for clues like cornices, wind-drifted snow, ripples on the snow surface, scoured areas near ridges, and other signs of wind-affected snow. Be willing to change plans if you see any signs of an isolated unstable wind slab, like cracking in the snow or feel dense snow over softer snow.