Avalanche Advisory: Saturday - Jan 11, 2020

THIS AVALANCHE ADVISORY EXPIRED ON January 12, 2020 @ 6:28 am
Avalanche Advisory published on January 11, 2020 @ 6:28 am
Issued by Steve Mace - ESAC

The avalanche danger is LOW at all elevations today. Generally safe avalanche conditions exist. Be on the lookout for areas of unstable snow on isolated terrain features and in extreme terrain.

1. Low

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

1. Low

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

1. Low

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Below Treeline
Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.
    Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.
Avalanche Problem 1: Normal Caution
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Remember that LOW danger doesn't mean NO danger. In times of normal caution after encountering many days in a row of very stable conditions, it can be easy to become complacent and miss signs of instability. It remains important to practice safe travel techniques and evaluate terrain carefully. Heightened awareness is recommended in complex terrain, where unsupported slopes, convex rollovers, confined couloirs, and cross-loaded catchment zones could be harboring isolated instabilities.

advisory discussion

Strong to extreme winds out of the west persisted throughout the evening with gusts reaching over 90mph on top of Mammoth mountain.  While loose snow in the alpine will be long gone, in a range as large and complex as ours we cannot discount the possibility of small isolated wind slabs. continue to evaluate terrain carefully and keep an eye out for isolated instabilities. 

Hard slick surface conditions remain a hazard particularly in exposed wind hammered areas where slide-for-life conditions could turn an otherwise innocuous fall into a potentially unpleasant and dangerous situation. An ice ax and boot or ski crampons may be necessary tools if you decide to brave the winds and venture into the alpine today. 

recent observations
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1/10 - Mammoth Area - Snow conditions on the backside of Mammoth Mountain and Mammoth crest

1/10 - Mammoth Area - Snow conditions on Earthquake dome

1/10 - Mammoth Area - Snow conditions in Red cone

1/9 - Lundy Canyon - Snow conditions

1/8 - Lee Vining - Tuolumne snow conditions

1/8 - Mammoth Area - Snow conditions in the Sherwins

Weather and CURRENT CONDITIONS
weather summary

Expect partly cloudy skies and scattered snow showers today as strong westerly winds continue to impact the area. Mid-slope winds are expected to be 25-40 mph today with gusts over 100 mph on ridge tops. Temperatures will stay below freezing and snow accumulation is expected to be minimal at best.

A series of weak to moderate winter storms will continue to impact our area as we move into next week bringing continued strong winds and snow showers. While we are not likely to see much snow this weekend models show potential for higher snow totals later in the week. 

Two-Day Mountain Weather Forecast Produced in partnership with the Reno NWS
For 8,000 ft. to 10,000 ft.
Saturday Saturday Night Sunday
Weather: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Clear. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%. Partly cloudy. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%.
Temperatures: 26 to 34. deg. F. 13 to 19. deg. F. 27 to 35. deg. F.
Mid Slope Winds: West 25 to 40 mph. Gusts up to 80 mph decreasing to 60 mph in the afternoon. Southwest 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 50 mph decreasing to 40 mph after midnight. Southwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45 mph.
Expected snowfall: 30% probability up to 1 inch. 70% probability no accumulation. | SWE = less than 0.10 inch. in. 0 in. 0 in.
Over 10,000 ft.
Saturday Saturday Night Sunday
Weather: Partly cloudy. Chance of snow showers. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Clear. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 5%. Partly cloudy. Snow levels below 7000 feet. Chance of precipitation is 10%.
Temperatures: 18 to 26. deg. F. 9 to 14. deg. F. 19 to 27. deg. F.
Ridge Top Winds: Southwest 45 to 60 mph with gusts to 100 mph becoming west and decreasing to 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph in the afternoon. Southwest 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph. Southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 60 mph.
Expected snowfall: 30% probability up to 1 inch. 70% probability no accumulation. | SWE = less than 0.10 inch. 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 Avalanche Advisory is provided by the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, who is solely responsible for its content.

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