General Avalanche Information Central Sierra Nevada

The upper end of snowfall totals at 8 to 9 inches occurred along the Sierra Crest above 7,500'. This new snow was deposited on bare ground in the majority of areas. Isolated areas on NW-N-NE aspects above about 7,500' held patchy old faceted snow on the ground prior to the Nov 6 snowfall. It appears that rain fell on this old snow up to at least 9,000' and made it wet prior to burial by the new snow. 

Avalanche concerns currently remain minimal on a regional scale. That said, there are certainly some pockets of wind drifted snow and if you were to find trouble, that is where it would occur. Any slopes that look more filled in with snow than the surrounding slopes are the locations of concern for potential avalanches this time. Identify these areas and approach them with caution or avoid them altogether. Getting caught in even a small avalanche right now carries increased consequences from hitting hit rocks, logs, trees, etc which could easily lead to season ending injuries.

The new snow on the ground has produced connected snow cover across avalanche terrain with many rocks, etc protruding up through the snow surface. This new snow is likely to become faceted and weaken as it sits on the ground between storms, especially across NW-N-NE aspect terrain. When the next snowfall impacts the forecast area, currently expected Nov 14-16, some avalanche problems may develop.

We are still in the process of pre-season start up at the avalanche center, getting staff back on the job, and preparing our gear and systems for the winter ahead. We expect to reach full operational status on our normal schedule in the coming weeks. Daily avalanche forecasts will resume once we are fully operational, and the snowpack conditions warrant it.