Avalanche Advisory: Monday - Jan 18, 2021 | Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center

THIS AVALANCHE ADVISORY EXPIRED ON January 19, 2021 @ 6:58 am
Avalanche Advisory published on January 18, 2021 @ 6:58 am

Issued by Josh Feinberg - Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center

Bottom Line

How to read the advisory

Avalanche danger is LOW. Much colder temperatures, winds and some cloud cover will keep melt/freeze conditions stuck mostly in the frozen state. Challenging surface conditions including slide-for-life firm slopes and the many obstacles associated with our thin snowpack are by-far the greatest safety concerns.

1. Low

Above Treeline

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

1. Low

Near Treeline

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

1. Low

Below Treeline

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

Avalanche Problem 1: Normal Caution

Type ?

advisory discussion

A good overnight refreeze, much colder daytime temperatures, partly cloudy skies and increasing N to NE winds will keep slopes that softened in previous days mostly firm and locked up today. Despite increasing winds, widespread firm surfaces in exposed terrain with only small pockets of loose grainy facets will make new wind slab development highly unlikely today. Tomorrow may be a different story as winds increase much more dramatically overnight and could erode firm surfaces and reach into sheltered terrain. The greatest hazard by far today will be the variable and challenging surface conditions and the abundance of obstacles. Loose faceted snow in undisturbed sheltered shady spots could offer a few nice turns, but beware of invisible lurking sharks just under the surface. Other slopes will likely range from barely edgeable firm wind-board, bullet proof frozen, to punchy and breakable. Be careful out there, and if traveling into exposed terrain, crampons and ice ax/whippet could save you from a long dangerous slide.

Continue to practice safe travel protocols such as exposing one person at a time, as the existence of a pocket of unstable snow is never impossible. Developing good habits could save someone’s life in the long run.

recent observations

Submit Snowpack Observations

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-1/17 – North of June – Kidney Couloir: Softening snow on solar aspects, coverage.

-1/17 – Mammoth Lakes Basin – Red Cone: Variable melt/freeze conditions.

-1/17 – Mammoth Area – South side of Mammoth Mtn: Variable melt/freeze conditions.

-1/17 – Mammoth Area – South side of Mammoth Mtn: Coverage and conditions.

-1/16 – VA Lakes – SE Gully on Dunderberg: Warm, wet and thin.

-1/16 – VA Lakes – Up canyon: Warming snow on SE aspects, cold wintery on NW.

-1/16 – Mammoth – Minaret Vista: Warming snow, rounding and strengthening basal facets.

-1/16 – Mammoth Sidecountry – Hemlock Ridge: Variable Moist snow.

Weather and CURRENT CONDITIONS

weather summary

Spring time is over as a mostly dry low-pressure system moves thru the area today. Temperatures drop back down to normal for January with highs reaching the mid 30s around 10,000’. N to NE winds should increase thru the day gusting into the 50s, with decreasingly partly cloudy skies. A High Wind Warning is in effect tonight thru tomorrow for Mono County, with gusts into the 80mph range at mid elevations, and well over 100mph over ridgetops.

A slight chance of meager snowfall exists for early tomorrow morning. Potentially more meaningful snowfall is possible for Friday thru next week, all depending on the track and moisture tap of a parade of low-pressure systems.

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:	Mostly cloudy then becoming sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 10%.	Clear then becoming partly cloudy. Slight chance of snow after midnight. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 10%.	Mostly cloudy then becoming sunny. Slight chance of snow in the morning. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Temperatures:	33 to 41. deg. F.	8 to 14. deg. F.	21 to 29. deg. F.
Mid Slope Winds:	North 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 50 mph.	Northeast 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 80 mph.	Northeast 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 85 mph.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	100% probability up to 1 inch. \| SWE = none. in.	No accumulation. \| SWE = none. in.

Over 10,000 ft.

	Monday	Monday Night	Tuesday
Weather:	Mostly cloudy then becoming sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 10%.	Clear then becoming partly cloudy. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 15%.	Mostly cloudy then becoming partly cloudy. Slight chance of snow in the morning. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 15%.
Temperatures:	26 to 34. deg. F.	1 to 6. deg. F.	15 to 21. deg. F.
Ridge Top Winds:	North 25 to 35 mph increasing to 30 to 45 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 55 mph.	Northeast 30 to 50 mph increasing to 40 to 55 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 80 mph.	Northeast 55 to 70 mph decreasing to 40 to 55 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 100 mph.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	100% probability up to 1 inch. \| SWE = trace amounts. 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.