Avalanche Advisory: Friday - Dec 14, 2018

THIS AVALANCHE ADVISORY EXPIRED ON December 15, 2018 @ 6:45 am
Avalanche Advisory published on December 14, 2018 @ 6:45 am
Issued by Chris Engelhardt - Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center

Strong to Extreme winds from the S to SW will be the biggest concern for travel in the mountains today. Although natural and human triggered avalanches are unlikely due to lack of transportable snow, be on the lookout in complex and extreme terrain primarily on E-N-NW. Isolated terrain features that capture snow could harbor small avalanche potential.   Early season obstacles exist!

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Near Treeline

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Below Treeline
Avalanche Problem 1: Normal Caution
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advisory discussion

The last reported human caused avalanche activity was this past Monday on Mt Aggie (see 12/10- McGee Creek observation) in the form of a small wind slab in the alpine. Since then the shadier N facing aspects have been stripped and scoured from our N-NE wind event on Wednesday and residing snow has shown to be better welded to slope with every day. Don’t rule out that there is not lingering wind slabs out there and take normal precaution when choosing your line.  Although snow available for wind transport is nearly absent from S-SW aspects, it doesn’t mean that the forecasted strong winds of today will not be able to find some material to move around and potentially deposit in erratic ways on the leeward of ridges. Loading may even take place mid slope or further down when strong winds of this nature occur.

recent observations
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12/13 Rock Creek snow conditions

12/12 Buttermilks area- Wahoo Gully 

12/12- Bishop Creek  Area- Bishop Bowl

12/12 Mammoth Area- Minaret Vista 

12/10- McGee Creek-ski cut avalanche Mt Aggie

Weather and CURRENT CONDITIONS
weather summary

A super windy day expected for Friday with very strong to extreme winds from the SW at ridgetops. Overnight velocities already picked up averaging in the 40s with locally higher gusts and things are only supposed to ramp up with gusts forecasted to reach the 100mph range at ridgetop and in the 80s at middle elevations. Temperatures will remain mild and reach above freezing levels for the mid and upper elevations. Mostly cloudy to party cloudy conditions are also on tap to cover the area. These conditions will be in stark contrast to yesterdays balmy and beautiful California day. Temperatures as high as 46F at 2pm yesterday were recorded at the 9000ft level and winds for the most part were light to moderate. 

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 partly cloudy. . Partly cloudy. Mostly cloudy then becoming partly cloudy.
Temperatures: 34 to 44. deg. F. 19 to 25. deg. F. 34 to 44. deg. F.
Mid Slope Winds: South 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph increasing to south 20 to 40 mph with gusts to 85 mph in the afternoon. Southwest 20 to 40 mph with gusts up to 80 mph decreasing to southwest 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph after midnight. Southwest 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 35 mph
Expected snowfall: 0 in. 0 in. 0 in.
Over 10,000 ft.
Friday Friday Night Saturday
Weather: Mostly cloudy then becoming partly cloudy. Partly cloudy. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Mostly cloudy
Temperatures: 26 to 36 deg. F. 14 to 19 deg. F. 30 to 40 deg. F.
Ridge Top Winds: Southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 60 mph increasing to south 35 to 55 mph with gusts to 100 mph in the afternoon. Southwest 35 to 55 mph with gusts to 90 mph decreasing to 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph after midnight. Southwest 15 to 30 mph. Gusts up to 45 mph
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 Snowpack Summary is provided by the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, who is solely responsible for its content.

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