Avalanche Advisory: Sunday - Feb 9, 2020 | Page 2 | Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center

Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slab

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North to Northeasterly winds will once again decimate shady aspects with ever increasing velocities throughout the day Sunday into Monday. These winds combined with possible new snow totals (1-4”) Sunday will cross load N-W-S-SE aspects with small deposits of fresh transported snow in erratic patterns. Middle elevations at tree line may present the most viable area to collect newly transported snow. Look for unstable snow conditions on isolated terrain features and identify surface deposits such as ribbons of new snow, pillows adjacent to ridgeline, rock outcroppings and cliff bands and avoid riding over terrain traps.

Violent winds with 80+mph gusts may present the most hazards today in regards to damaging trees and suspending debris aloft.

advisory discussion

It seems like we are locked into a windy pattern with the area remaining south of the northwesterly flow and storm track that continues to pound the intermountain west. Snow conditions have reached all-time lows, and most adventurers have been seeking out solar aspects for pseudo corn skiing in the few locations where there is enough coverage. The biggest hazards remain variable and unpleasant surface conditions, rocks, bare patches, and panels of wind board. Most objectives present more of an adventure than decent skiing, and ski crampons, crampons and ice axes have become required pieces of equipment for alpine objectives.

recent observations

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2/8 – Buttermilks – Peaklet -wind

2/8 – Mammoth Area- Snowpit on Panorama Dome

2/8– Mammoth Area- San Joaquin ridge–snow conditions

2/8 – VA Lakes – snow conditions

2/7 – McGee Creek – White Fang area – snow conditions

Weather and CURRENT CONDITIONS

weather summary

Violent and potentially damaging northerly to easterly winds will ramp up and impact the zone with gusts reaching 80mph and higher. Mostly cloudy skies will be accompanied by colder temperatures with 11-18F in the higher mountains and 20-28F below 10,000ft. 1-4” of snow is possible but wind is the primary factor today.

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

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

	Sunday	Sunday Night	Monday
Weather:	Mostly cloudy. Areas of blowing dust. Chance of snow. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 40%.	Mostly cloudy then becoming partly cloudy. Areas of blowing dust in the evening. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%.	Sunny. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%.
Temperatures:	20 to 28. deg. F.	9 to 14. deg. F.	31 to 39. deg. F.
Mid Slope Winds:	North 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 50 mph increasing to northeast 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 80 mph in the afternoon.	Northeast 30 to 45 mph decreasing to 20 to 35 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 85 mph.	North 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 55 mph decreasing to 40 mph in the afternoon.
Expected snowfall:	80% probability of 1 to 4 inches. 20% probability of 3 to 5 inches. \| SWE = less than 0.10 inch. in.	20% probability up to 1 inch. 80% probability no accumulation. \| SWE = none. in.	0 in.

Over 10,000 ft.

	Sunday	Sunday Night	Monday
Weather:	Mostly cloudy. Chance of snow. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 45%.	Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 10%.	Mostly sunny. Slight chance of snow in the morning. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%.
Temperatures:	11 to 19. deg. F.	4 to 9. deg. F.	23 to 31. deg. F.
Ridge Top Winds:	Northeast 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 60 mph increasing to 30 to 50 mph with gusts to 85 mph in the afternoon.	Northeast 35 to 55 mph with gusts to 85 mph.	Northeast 30 to 45 mph decreasing to 20 to 35 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 65 mph.
Expected snowfall:	80% probability of 1 to 4 inches. 20% probability of 3 to 5 inches. \| SWE = up to 0.15 inch. in.	20% probability up to 1 inch. 80% probability no accumulation. \| SWE = less than 0.10 inch. 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.