Please remember that these observations indicate what was going on in the snowpack at a single point in time and space. They may not represent conditions where you are or where you plan to be. They also come from a variety of sources. SAC cannot vouch for the quality or accuracy of any observations that come from the general public. Some of these may be professional quality observations; some may not. Please use observations listed on this page as part of your information gathering process, but as always don't make decisions based on a single piece of information.

If you are looking for more information on how to understand the information on this page, all of the pit data graphs and stability tests are part of what is presented in a Level II avalanche class that follows the American Avalanche Association (AAA) or American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) curriculum guidelines. All of the coding and abbreviations for data presented follows the publication Snow, Weather, and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States (SWAG) which is the standard for all professional avalanche programs in the US. An electronic copy is available here. Most of what you are looking for is in Chapter 2 and Appendix F part 1. We use a program called SnowPilot to create the snowpit graphs. This program is available as a free download at http://www.snowpilot.org/. A video on how to download and use this program is available here. Please send us your observations using the buttons below.

Location Region Observation Type Date and time of observation or avalanche occurrencesort ascending Avalanche observation video Avalanche photos Snowpit videos (tests, etc) Snowpack photos Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph Observation made by
Tamarack Peak Mount Rose Area Snowpack Observation 05/07/2017 - 09:10 Variable conditions with scoured crusts and dense "punchy" wind blown snow. Poor visibility and variable snow. Public
Castle Peak Donner Summit Area Snowpack Observation 05/05/2017 - 10:00 Ankle deep wet snow on a S aspect just before 9 am. Boot top deep wet snow on a N aspect near 8800 ft. at 10:00 am Mid shin deep wet snow at 11 am. Forecaster
Castle Peak Donner Summit Area Snowpack Observation 04/23/2017 - 14:00 Marginal at best overnight refreeze. 2-3'' 1F crust at 10am on S aspect at 7400'. Natural cornice collapse at 8000', E aspect, observed at 2:45pm. Loose wet avalanche intentionally skier triggered on SE aspect at 7800'. Previous loose wet avalanches on N side of Castle Peak. Guide
Tahoe Mountain School
Castle Peak Donner Summit Area Snowpack Observation 04/23/2017 - 13:15 Public
South side of Rose Mount Rose Area Avalanche Observation 04/23/2017 - 10:30 Public
Rose Knob, Third Creek Mount Rose Area Avalanche Observation 04/22/2017 - 12:30 Public
Lower Rose Knob Mount Rose Area Avalanche Observation 04/22/2017 - 12:00 Public
Incline Lake Peak Mount Rose Area Snowpack Observation 04/22/2017 - 09:50 Strong snow surface refreeze of the top 4 to 5 inches on SE aspect at 8,600' at 9:25 am. Thin breakable crust over recent storm snow unaffected by melt on NE aspect around 9,100'. Small lose wet avalanche on test slope along summit ridge, NE aspect at 9,500' at 9:50am. Forecaster
Rose Knob Mount Rose Area Snowpack Observation 04/21/2017 - 12:00 Large cornice collapse that occurred between 11 and 11:30 am this morning. Small loose wet instabilities on an E-NE aspect at about 8800 ft. Wet snow depth at 11:30 am on a S-SE aspect at 9000 ft. Wet snow depth at 12:00 on a S-SW aspect at 8400 ft. Forecaster
Negro Canyon Donner Summit Area Snowpack Observation 04/19/2017 - 12:15 Boot top deep wet snow on a S aspect @ 7000 ft. @ 12:15pm Very small wet snow sluffs on an E-SE aspect @ 7200 ft. @ 12:30 pm Large cornice collapse likely from 4/18/2017 Forecaster
Ralston Echo Summit Area Snowpack Observation 04/19/2017 - 12:00 Professional Observer
National Geographic Bowl, Granite Chief Peak Cabin Creek, Deep Creek, or Pole Creek Area Snowpack Observation 04/19/2017 - 10:00 cornice fall Cornice crack wet loose ski cut wet loose Guide
Alpenglow Expeditions
Hidden Peak West Shore Area Snowpack Observation 04/18/2017 - 12:30 Small loose wet avalanches resulting from cornice pieces dropped onto a NE facing wind-loaded slope near 9100 ft. Small loose wet avalanches resulting from cornice pieces dropped onto a NE facing wind-loaded slope near 9100 ft. Loose wet instabilities on a N facing slope at around 7400 ft. Ski cuts triggered small cracking on a wind-loaded test slope near the summit of Hidden Peak. Forecaster
Tamarack Peak Mount Rose Area Snowpack Observation 04/17/2017 - 11:45 Foggy/misty conditions on Tamarack Peak. ECTN results in testpit. Forecaster
NE bowl of Echo Peak Echo Summit Area Avalanche Observation 04/16/2017 - 12:30 Public

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