Avalanche Advisory: Monday - Jan 13, 2020 | Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center

Avalanche Problem 1: Normal Caution

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Remain on the lookout for enduring stubborn wind slabs in isolated areas of complex terrain. Shallow, fresh wind deposits could also exist in catchment zones where recent strong and erratic winds may have laid down eroded snow on a variety of aspects and terrain features. Be particularly aware of unsupported slopes, convex rolls, or if you’re traveling in tight confined terrain (couloirs) where you are exposed from hazards above. Although the sunny aspects have consolidated significantly from their initial warm-up the first week of January, lower elevation-southerly aspects should be assessed for warming and loosening potential particularly in regards to rock fall.

advisory discussion

Riding objectives have become increasingly limited with challenging snow surfaces and the lack of fresh snow. Even still, it was impressive to see Saturday's extreme winds eroding and moving more snow. With projected clear skies and increased solar input, be aware of the potential for loosening panels of snow or spindrift that may be high above you, particularly when you’re in gullies or chutes that can funnel cascading snow. This should be particularly considered when travelling where warming sunny aspects threaten your location from above.

Most exposed terrain consists of firm, smooth wind board conditions and both soft and hardened sastrugi. “Slide for life” conditions, thin snow cover and potential for hitting obstacles are the biggest hazards right now. The snowpack is extremely variable both in depth and structure across the forecast zone, so every drainage and mountain should be looked at with a critical eye to assess what is really going on in your specific area.

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1/12 –June Lake Area – White Wing & Glass Creek – snow conditions

1/11 – Mammoth Area – Sherwins– wind effects

1/10 – Mammoth Area –Mammoth Crest - Snow Conditions

1/10 - Mammoth Area –Mammoth Crest - Snow Conditions

1/10 - Mammoth Area –Earthquake Dome - Snow Conditions

Weather and CURRENT CONDITIONS

weather summary

A Sunny day is on tap with moderate westerly winds gusting up to 50mph. Temperatures will range from 23-31F above 10000ft and reach up to 40F in the lower elevations. Looks to be a relatively benign day before very strong winds and a bit of snow affect the region tonight. Sights are set on a more potent storm slated to impact our area Wednesday night/Thursday morning that has the potential to bring 12-24” to the Sierra Crest.

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

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

	Monday	Monday Night	Tuesday
Weather:	Sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 0%.	Partly cloudy. Slight chance of snow after midnight. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%.	Partly cloudy. Chance of snow in the morning. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 15%.
Temperatures:	30 to 40. deg. F.	17 to 22. deg. F.	25 to 35. deg. F.
Mid Slope Winds:	West 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 50 mph.	Southwest 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph increasing to 30 to 45 mph with gusts to 85 mph after midnight.	Southwest 30 to 45 mph decreasing to 25 to 35 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 85 mph.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	80% probability up to 1 inch. 20% probability of 1 to 2 inches. \| SWE = up to 0.05 inches. in.	30% probability up to 2 inches. 70% probability no accumulation. \| SWE = less than 0.10 inch. in.

Over 10,000 ft.

	Monday	Monday Night	Tuesday
Weather:	Sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 0%.	Partly cloudy. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%.	Mostly cloudy then becoming partly cloudy. Slight chance of snow in the morning. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Temperatures:	23 to 31. deg. F.	12 to 17. deg. F.	18 to 26. deg. F.
Ridge Top Winds:	West 20 to 35 mph. Gusts up to 55 mph decreasing to 45 mph in the afternoon.	Southwest 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph increasing to 45 to 60 mph with gusts to 90 mph after midnight.	Southwest 50 to 70 mph decreasing to 40 to 60 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 100 mph.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	80% probability up to 1 inch. 20% probability of 1 to 2 inches. \| SWE = less than 0.10 inch. in.	60% probability up to 2 inches. 40% probability no accumulation. \| SWE = less than 0.10 inch. 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.