Avalanche warning issued for Tahoe area as snow blankets California’s high Sierra
Parts of the central Sierra Nevada were under an avalanche warning Monday as an atmospheric river storm brought heavy rain, thick snow and strong winds to Northern California.
The Sierra Avalanche Center, which issued the warning on Sunday morning, works with the U.S. Forest Service to monitor backcountry avalanche, snow and weather information for the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The warning comes less than a month after an avalanche struck Palisades Tahoe ski resort on Jan. 10, killing a Northern California man and injuring three other people.
How long will avalanche warning last in Tahoe?
The avalanche warning is expected to remain in effect through 7 a.m. Tuesday, the Sierra Avalanche Center said.
The advisory remains in place for the central Sierra Nevada mountain range between Yuba Pass on Highway 49 in the north and Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4 in the south, including Lake Tahoe.
“This does not include ski areas and highways where avalanche mitigation programs exist,” the center said.
According to the center, the storm was expected to bring “another period of high-intensity snowfall” on Monday morning.
“This combined with strong winds is expected to continue to produce widespread areas of unstable snow,” the center said.
What is avalanche danger in Sierra Nevada?
While avalanches can occur at any elevation due to heavy amounts of snow layered upon a slope, people could also potentially trigger an avalanche when traveling below or near a slope.
The Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee said that avalanche danger was considered “high” on Monday, according to the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale.
During periods of high danger, natural avalanches are likely, human-triggered avalanches are very likely and travel in, near or below avalanche terrain is not recommended, according to the website avalanche.org, a partnership between the American Avalanche Association and the Forest Service.
Skiers should “use extra caution” when traveling and “stick to very mellow slopes or dense trees that are free of overhead hazards,” according to avalanche.org. “Remember that you don’t have to be on a steep slope to be struck by an avalanche that starts from above you.”
What about Inyo, Mono counties?
Meanwhile, the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center in Mammoth Lakes extended its backcountry avalanche warning for areas of Inyo and Mono counties, according to the National Weather Service.
This story was originally published February 5, 2024 at 11:01 AM.
