(KRON) Avalanche danger across the Sierra Nevada is extremely high this weekend. The U.S. Forest Service issued the warning below.
THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE SIERRA AVALANCHE CENTER HAS ISSUED A
BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE WARNING.
* TIMING…IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM FRIDAY TO 7 AM SATURDAY
* AFFECTED AREA…FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS BETWEEN YUBA
PASS ON THE NORTH AND EBBETTS PASS ON THE SOUTH. THIS INCLUDES
THE LAKE TAHOE BASIN.
* AVALANCHE DANGER…THE AVALANCHE DANGER IS CONSIDERABLE.
* REASON…ON SLOPES STEEPER THAN 30 DEGREES, CONSIDERABLE
AVALANCHE DANGER EXISTS ON NORTHWEST, NORTH, NORTHEAST, EAST
AND SOUTHEAST ASPECTS AT ALL ELEVATIONS DUE TO A COMBINATION OF
WIND SLABS AND PERSISTENT SLABS. LARGE HUMAN TRIGGERED
AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY AND NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
UNUSUAL AVALANCHE CONDITIONS EXIST. AVALANCHES ON STEEPER SLOPES
COULD BE REMOTELY TRIGGERED BY A PERSON STANDING IN LOWER ANGLE
TERRAIN OR MAY BE TRIGGERED IN PLACES TRADITIONALLY CONSIDERED
SAFE. CAREFUL SNOWPACK EVALUATION, CAUTIOUS ROUTE FINDING AND
CONSERVATIVE DECISION MAKING ARE ESSENTIAL.
PRECAUTIONARY / PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER INDICATES THAT VERY DANGEROUS AVALANCHE
CONDITIONS EXIST…NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY AND HUMAN
TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE VERY LIKELY. TRAVEL IN OR BELOW
AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
CONSIDERABLE AVALANCHE DANGER INDICATES THAT VERY DANGEROUS
AVALANCHE CONDITIONS EXIST…NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE POSSIBLE AND
HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY. CAREFUL SNOWPACK
EVALUATION…CAUTIOUS ROUTE-FINDING AND CONSERVATIVE ROUTE-FINDING
ARE ESSENTIAL.