Avalanche risks welcome 2026 in the central Sierra Nevada. Here’s what to know
After a slow start to the snow season in November and most of December, the first powder day of 2026 in the Sierra Nevada arrives this weekend.
Backcountry skiers and snowboarders could face risks of avalanches Saturday, according to forecasters.
The Sierra Avalanche Center reported Friday that the central Sierra, which encompasses the Lake Tahoe area, may see “considerable” avalanche concerns on Saturday.
Avalanche risks are rated on a five-point scale, from “low” danger at 1 to “extreme” danger at 5. The “considerable” risk is at danger level 3.
At this risk level, small naturally occurring and human-triggered avalanches are likely, while large and very large avalanches may also form, according to the forecast center.
The American Avalanche Association and National Avalanche Center indicate small avalanches are “relatively harmless,” and are unlikely to bury a person. Large avalanches have the ability to bury or kill people and can carry roughly 100 tons of snow. Very large avalanches can destroy cars or wood frame houses and have about 10 times more snow than a large avalanche.
According to National Weather Service forecasts on the avalanche center website, up to 16 inches of snowfall is expected above 7,000 feet of elevation on Saturday, with winds along the highest mountain ridges potentially reaching gusts of 85 miles per hour.
The forecast only applies to backcountry terrain, or non-patrolled areas outside of ski resort boundaries, and spans mountain elevations from below to above the treeline.
A Sacramento Bee reporter was not able to reach forecasters for the Sierra Avalanche Center Friday morning.
The avalanche risk for Friday was at danger level 1, or “low” throughout the mountain, the avalanche center forecasted. The most recent avalanche reported on the Sierra Avalanche Center website was on Dec. 31, in the Heavenly Ski Resort backcountry.
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