The avalanche danger is mostly Low but you may find some Moderate: 1) on slopes with lingering wind slabs from yesterday's wind along the upper elevation ridges and 2) if we get significant sun warming today, the danger will rise to Moderate for wet sluffs on steep slopes that are getting wet from sun warming.
Cornices in the Tioga Pass area are large- avoid traveling beneath cornices as the day warms up.
The Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center is winding down for the season - Advisories will be issued this Friday and the following Friday, May 2.
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Above Treeline
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Near Treeline
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Below Treeline
Gusty west and northwest winds accompanied a few inches of dry new snow that fell above 10,000 ft in the Tioga Pass area yesterday. An inch of two fell at the highest elevations in the Mammoth area. Winds gusting at the top of Mammoth Mountain reached 80 mph yesterday afternoon. After a cold night, today's clear skies, light winds and 15 degrees of warming will give the snow surface quite a shock. By tomorrow, the weather roller coaster heads back down to cold temperatures and there is a good chance of 10-12 inches of new snow by Friday night. This late season, cold winter storm will bring winter avalanche problems this weekend and could catch people off guard who are expecting spring snow conditions. The next advisory will be posted Friday morning and will cover the expected weekend avalanche conditions.
The mountains picked up a trace to 3 inches of snow Tuesday. Ridgetop temperatures plummeted to the mid 20's and dropped back to the teens overnight. Winds blew new snow off the ridgetops yesterday afternoon and formed fresh drifts that might be sensitive to a person. They are going to be small but perhaps enough to knock a person over. They can be avoided by sticking to sheltered or wind-scoured areas.
True to the meaning of "persistent", depth hoar remains dry at the bottom of the thin snowpack in the Rock Creek area. The most recent observations are from the weekend, when supportable skiing on winter ski was reported above 11,500 ft but conditions turned ugly on gentle and steep slopes below 11,000 ft to snowline. Melt-freeze crusts are not supporting the weight of a skier making for unpredictable and unpleasant skiing conditions. The snowpack is thin and when the surface crust collapses into depth hoar, there isn't much snow to protect you from rocks and downed trees.
Gusty west and northwest winds accompanied a few inches of dry new snow that fell above 10,000 ft in the Tioga Pass area yesterday. An inch of two fell at the highest elevations in the Mammoth area. Winds gusting at the top of Mammoth Mountain reached 80 mph yesterday afternoon. After a cold night, today's clear skies, light winds and 15 degrees of warming will give the snow surface quite a shock. By tomorrow, the weather roller coaster heads back down to cold temperatures and there is a good chance of 10-12 inches of new snow by Friday night. This late season, cold winter storm will bring winter avalanche problems this weekeed and could catch people off guard who are expecting spring snow conditions. The next advisory will be posted Friday morning and will cover the expected weekend winter avalanche conditions.
There was an outbreak of wet loose avalanches last Friday in the Tioga Pass area, otherwise avalanche conditions were very quiet over the last five days. The Tioga Pass area continues to have decent overnight refreezes with spring snow conditions on most sun exposed slopes. North aspects along the ridgetops have a variety of thin wind crusts and settled dry snow.
Wet sluffs off White Mtn. photo credit Preston Few.
Warmer temperatures are forecasted for today and Thursday before a colder and wetter storm arrives Friday. The cold front that moved through yesterday cooled temperatures 15-20 degrees colder than Monday and the weekend. Short term ridging builds over the West Coast briefly, shifting the storm track to the north.
Daytime highs will reach the mid 40's today and Thursday. Overnight lows will be in the mid 20's. The Friday storm brings strong winds and an increasing possibility for up to a foot of new snow.
| 0600 temperature: | 22 deg. F. |
| Max. temperature in the last 24 hours: | 29 deg. F. |
| Average wind direction during the last 24 hours: | WSW |
| Average wind speed during the last 24 hours: | 45 mph |
| Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours: | 80 mph |
| New snowfall in the last 24 hours: | 1 inches |
| Total snow depth: | 16 inches |
| Wednesday | Wednesday Night | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather: | mostly sunny | mostly cloudy | mostly sunny |
| Temperatures: | 48 deg. F. | 33 deg. F. | 45 deg. F. |
| Mid Slope Winds: | SW | SW | SW |
| Expected snowfall: | 0 in. | 0 in. | 0 in. |
| Wednesday | Wednesday Night | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather: | mostly sunny | mostly cloudy | mostly sunny |
| Temperatures: | 47 deg. F. | 25 deg. F. | 43 deg. F. |
| Ridge Top Winds: | SW | W | W |
| Expected snowfall: | 0 in. | 0 in. | 0 in. |
