Avalanche Advisory: Friday - Jan 8, 2021 | Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center

Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slab

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Increasing SW winds today may lead to some moderate transport near and above treeline, however, significant new slab development is unlikely. Recent strong winds have largely stripped available snow cover from much of the alpine and have heavily impacted surface conditions on exposed windward slopes at lower elevations. Areas that still hold loose surface snow in the mid-elevations band may be most problematic today. Do your own localized assessments and be on the lookout for isolated pockets of reactive wind slab. Be suspect of terrain features that encourage drifting such as the leeward sides of ridgelines, gully features, and cross-loaded depressions.

advisory discussion

While generally safe avalanche conditions exist today the shallow and sporadic coverage continues to pose serious hazards to backcountry enthusiasts. Recent observations from across the range continue to highlight the shallow and obstacle-ridden conditions. It is advisable to continue and move with caution if you decide to head into the backcountry today.

recent observations

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1/6- Mammoth Area- snow conditions in the Sherwins

1/5- Mammoth Area- Snow conditions int he Mammoth Lakes Basin

1/5- Mammoth Area- Natural avalanche activity on Sherwin ridge

Weather and CURRENT CONDITIONS

weather summary

Expect a breezy day today with mild temperatures and increasingly clear skies. Winds will continue out of the SW at moderate to strong speeds with ridgetop gusts around 80 mph

The long-range forecast is predicting quiet weather through the weekend as a ridge of high pressure builds off the California coast.

Two-Day Mountain Weather Forecast Produced in partnership with the Reno NWS

For 8,000 ft. to 10,000 ft.

	Friday	Friday Night	Saturday
Weather:	Mostly cloudy then becoming sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet.	Partly cloudy then becoming clear. Snow levels below 7000 feet.	Sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet.
Temperatures:	33 to 41. deg. F.	17 to 22. deg. F.	32 to 38. deg. F.
Mid Slope Winds:	West 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 65 mph.	West 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 60 mph decreasing to 40 mph after midnight.	Light winds.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	0 in.	0 in.

Over 10,000 ft.

	Friday	Friday Night	Saturday
Weather:	Mostly cloudy then becoming sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet.	Partly cloudy then becoming clear. Snow levels below 7000 feet.	Sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet.
Temperatures:	25 to 33. deg. F.	14 to 19. deg. F.	26 to 32. deg. F.
Ridge Top Winds:	West 35 to 50 mph with gusts to 80 mph.	West 30 to 45 mph with gusts to 75 mph decreasing to 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph after midnight.	Northwest 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph decreasing to 25 mph in the afternoon.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	0 in.	0 in.

Disclaimer

This Avalanche Advisory is designed to generally describe avalanche conditions where local variations always occur. This product only applies to backcountry areas located outside established ski area boundaries. The information in this Avalanche Advisory is provided by the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, who is solely responsible for its content.