NOAA has issued an avalanche warning for the greater Lake Tahoe area today.  We’ve never seen this happen in Tahoe.  Avalanche warnings are only issued when the avalanche danger is so high that the local avalanche center calls up NOAA and asks them to create a special warning for avalanche danger that day.

The Tahoe region just got 6-10″ of new snow overnight with a lot of wind which created significant wind slabs all over the Tahoe area.  Travel in avalanche terrain is NOT recommended in Tahoe today or tomorrow.

Sierra Avalanche Center’s Avalanche Forecast:

HIGH avalanche danger exists on slopes steeper than 30 degrees in near and below treeline terrain on NW-N-NE aspects due to new heavy snow slabs sitting on top of persistent weak layers. Natural and human triggered avalanche are very likely on these slopes today. CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger exists on the wind loaded NW-N-NE-E-SE aspects in near and above treeline terrain due to the pressence of newly formed wind slabs on slopes 35 degrees and steeper. MODERATE avalanche danger exists on all other aspects.

Travel in, around, or near avalanche terrain is not recommended today. – sierraavalanchecenter.org

NOAA’s Avalanche Warning:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
AVALANCHE WARNING
U.S. FOREST SERVICE SIERRA AVALANCHE CENTER
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
755 AM PST THU JAN 30 2014

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE U.S.
FOREST SERVICE SIERRA AVALANCHE CENTER.

...AN AVALANCHE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THURSDAY UNTIL 7 AM
FRIDAY...

THE CURRENT AVALANCHE DANGER IS HIGH.

HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER EXISTS ON SLOPES STEEPER THAN 30 DEGREES AT AND
BELOW TREELINE TERRAIN ON NW-N-NE ASPECTS DUE TO NEW HEAVY SNOW
SLABS SITING ON TOP OF PERSISTENT WEAK LAYERS. NATURAL AND HUMAN
TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE VERY LIKELY ON THESE SLOPES TODAY.
CONSIDERABLE AVALANCHE DANGER EXISTS ON THE WIND LOADED
NW-N-NE-E-SE ASPECTS AT AND ABOVE TREELINE TERRAIN DUE TO THE
PRESENCE OF NEWLY FORMED WIND SLABS ON SLOPES 35 DEGREES AND
STEEPER. MODERATE AVALANCHE DANGER EXISTS ON ALL OTHER ASPECTS.
TRAVEL IN, AROUND, OR NEAR AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED
TODAY.

THIS WARNING WAS POSTED AT 7 AM THURSDAY AND COVERS THE SIERRA
NEVADA MOUNTAINS BETWEEN YUBA PASS ON THE NORTH AND EBBETTS PASS
ON THE SOUTH. THIS WARNING APPLIES ONLY TO BACKCOUNTRY AREAS
OUTSIDE OF ESTABLISHED SKI AREA BOUNDARIES. THE INFORMATION IN
THIS STATEMENT IS PROVIDED BY THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE...WHICH IS
SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT. THIS WARNING DESCRIBES GENERAL
AVALANCHE CONDITIONS AND LOCAL VARIATIONS ALWAYS OCCUR.

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.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION GO TO WWW.SIERRAAVALANCHECENTER.ORG OR
CALL THE AVALANCHE HOTLINE AT 530 587 3558.