The last avalanche forecast for the 2023-2024 season posted on April 21st. Thank you to all who contributed to the avalanche center this season through observations, volunteer time, and/or financial contributions.
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The last avalanche forecast for the 2023-2024 season posted on April 21st. Thank you to all who contributed to the avalanche center this season through observations, volunteer time, and/or financial contributions.
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January 11, 2009 at 8:02 am |
Avalanche danger is LOW for all elevations and aspects. Normal caution is advised. |
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A strong high pressure ridge over the west coast will bring sunny, spring-like weather to the forecast area for the next several days. Expect to see daytime highs in the low to mid 50's and overnight lows around freezing. Moderate, cool east to northeast winds should continue until the high pressure starts to move east later this week.
Observations across the forecast area show a variety of wind affected snow, melt-freeze snow, supportable crusts, and breakable crusts on the surface in most areas. Some pockets of unconsolidated snow exist on higher elevation northerly aspects that are protected from wind and sun. The surface snow that melted and softened yesterday should have refrozen last night due to radiational cooling and below freezing temperatures. Snowpits continue to show some persistent weak layers within the snowpack ranging from facets around some of the crusts to pockets of depth hoar in areas that had snow cover before the December storms. The strength and distribution of these weak layers varies greatly across the forecast area and even across a slope. Right now avalanche activity should remain unlikely on these layers for two reasons. One, strong well-bonded snow sits on top of the depth hoar and should have enough strength to hold itself up. Two, the facets that have formed near some of the upper crusts only have 1 to 3 inches of snow on top of them. The current weather should allow these weak layers to consolidate and gain more strength before the next storm cycle.
Today warmer air temperatures and sun should quickly melt and soften the snow surface on southerly aspects. This cycle of melting during the day and freezing overnight will continue as long as the current high pressure system affects the forecast area. The cool, east winds and the low-intensity January sunshine combined with the prolonged melt-freeze cycle should keep wet snow instabilities small today.
0600 temperature: | 34 deg. F. |
Max. temperature in the last 24 hours: | 43 deg. F. |
Average wind direction during the last 24 hours: | Northeast to east |
Average wind speed during the last 24 hours: | 25-30 mph |
Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours: | 55 mph |
New snowfall in the last 24 hours: | O inches |
Total snow depth: | 62 inches |
For 7000-8000 ft: |
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Sunday: | Sunday Night: | Monday: | |
Weather: | Sunny | Clear | Sunny |
Temperatures: | 50-58 deg. F. | 32-42 deg. F. | 50-58 deg. F. |
Wind direction: | North | East | East |
Wind speed: | 10 mph decreasing in the afternoon | 10 mph | 10-25 mph with gusts to 40 mph |
Expected snowfall: | O in. | O in. | O in. |
For 8000-9000 ft: |
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Sunday: | Sunday Night: | Monday: | |
Weather: | Sunny | Clear | Sunny |
Temperatures: | 45-53 deg. F. | 35-43 deg. F. | 47-55 deg. F. |
Wind direction: | North | Northeast | Northeast |
Wind speed: | 25-40 mph with gusts to 60 mph | 25-40 mph with gusts to 60 mph | 30-50 mph with gusts to 70 mph decreasing to 20-30 mph with gusts to 50 mph in the afternoon |
Expected snowfall: | O in. | O in. | O in. |
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