These observations document past conditions at a small and variable scale. They are not too be confused with an avalanche forecast. They come from a variety of sources. We can only vouch for the quality of those produced by the SAC forecasters and professional observers.
Date and time of observation or avalanche occurrence Location Photos and Videos Observation made by
04/09/2023 - 11:30
Avalanche Observation 		Rubicon Peak
West Shore Area 		A ski cut on this small E-facing test slope triggered a small sluff of wet snow. It stayed small because the slope was small. A ski kick on the same test slope triggered this 7 ft diameter pinwheel moments later. Looking up the small slope that produced the 7 ft diameter pinwheel. Thin, weak refreeze on N aspects at 9:45 am on Rubicon. Rollerballs, pinwheels, and wet loose activity on the E face of Jakes Peak. Clouds over the lake indicating colder air below the clouds and warmer air above the clouds. This inversion remained low and the cold air did not extend much above the lake level. Forecaster
04/09/2023 - 10:30
Avalanche Observation 		Angora Peak
Echo Summit Area 		Public
04/09/2023 - 01:30
Avalanche Observation 		Hellhole Public
04/08/2023 - 14:42
Avalanche Observation 		Andesite Ridge
Donner Summit Area 		Natural wet loose avalanche seen from Andesite Ridge Educator
Blackbird Mountain Guides
04/08/2023 - 13:00
Avalanche Observation 		Johnson Canyon
Donner Summit Area 		Wet loose avalanches occurring on the North Side of Donner Peak by 1pm. Corniced ridgeline of Powerline Peak with only small and previous collapses by noon. Shin deep boot pen wet snow at 11am. Guide
Tahoe Mountain School
04/08/2023 - 12:00
Snowpack Observation 		Red Lake Peak
Carson Pass Area 		Cloud cover prevented significant surface wetting prior to noon Previous sastrugi might be transitioning to sun cups soon. Most of our descent was ideally smooth Professional Observer
04/08/2023 - 12:00
Avalanche Observation 		Alpine Meadows
Five Lakes Area 		Public
04/08/2023 - 11:30
Avalanche Observation 		Tamarack Peak
Mount Rose Area 		Public
04/08/2023 - 11:30
Snowpack Observation 		Slide Mountain
Mount Rose Area 		Crusts in the upper snowpack on a micro SE aspect at 9320 Trace of wintry new snow warming on solar aspects Public
04/08/2023 - 10:50
Snowpack Observation 		Relay Peak
Mount Rose Area 		Natural rollerballs off of rocks on Slab Cliffs, E aspect at around 9,500' at 10:50 am. Natural rollerballs off of trees on far southern Relay Peak, E aspect at around 9,700' at 11:45 am. I ski cut and traversed several wind loaded test slopes today, this was the only one I was able to create a fracture on. Forecaster
04/08/2023 - 10:00
Snowpack Observation 		Flagpole Peak
Echo Summit Area 		Looking up at Flagpole Peak. There is a several hundred foot long wet slide off the rock buttress to the left of Flagpole Peak that appeared to have happened yesterday. Checking ski penetration vs boot penetration on an open south east aspect at about 6600 feet at 9:30AM. ~ 1 cm ski pen and 10 cms boot pen On NE open aspect at about 6700' at 9:35 there was crust that was mostly breakable to boot pen (5 cm boot pen) but totally supportable to ski pen. In the trees at the base of Flagpole at about 9:45, snow was mushy and boot pen was ~ 20 cms with ~4 cm ski pen. Classic dark rock wet loose activity near the base of Flagpole from yesterday. The rarely seen melt freeze reverse skin track. Very little new snow accumulated on Flagpole. This was one of the deeper areas I encountered with 1-2 inches. Looking towards Ralston and Pyramid. The old large crowns on Ralston are still quite visible. This is about 100 feet below the summit and the old skin track highway from yesterday is still visible. Some shallow loose wet slide activity as a result of a ski turn at 11:00AM. Professional Observer
04/08/2023 - 08:30
Avalanche Observation 		Mt. Tallac
Desolation Wilderness Area (including Emerald Bay) 		Public
04/07/2023 - 12:00
Avalanche Observation 		Hidden Peak
West Shore Area 		Shallow wet loose avalanche in NE aspect terrain at 7,800'. Shallow wet loose avalanche in NE aspect terrain at 7,800'. Unreactive wind slab along the summit ridge. Large settlement cones indicating the the snowpack continues to settle faster than ongoing snowfall adds to HS. Forecaster
04/06/2023 - 13:00
Snowpack Observation 		Job's Sister
Luther Pass Area (including Job and Freel) 		Looking uphill at the debris Looking downhill at the debris Public
04/06/2023 - 12:00
Snowpack Observation 		Johnson Canyon
Donner Summit Area 		Ski kicks triggered shallow ski width wide sluffs of wet snow at 11:30 am on a SE aspect. Roller balls and pinwheels on an E-NE aspect at noon. Large cornices along ridges looking towards Frog Lake. ECTN on a NE-facing wind-loaded test slope. Forecaster
04/06/2023 - 11:00
Snowpack Observation 		Angora Peak
Echo Summit Area 		Absolutely gigantic cornices on Echo Peak Shallow warming on a steep SE slope at 11:00AM. Soft not quite corn on the surface over a firm crust skied well On a more easterly aspect there was impressive evidence of previous avalanche activity. The most roller ball activity we observed was on a NE slope around 1:45pm. Looking back towards Desolation and the coverage is very impressive. Professional Observer
04/05/2023 - 13:00
Snowpack Observation 		Castle Peak
Donner Summit Area 		A cornice piece dropped on this sunny SE-facing slope produced a small wind-slab failure mixed with a sluff of wet snow. These cornice pieces caused a small sluff of wet snow on the slope below. Scoured and wind-sculpted surfaces on the ridge and on NW aspects. ECTN on a wind-loaded N-facing test slope. The upper snowpack was a mix of wet snow, melt-freeze crusts, and still cold dry snow. Surface hoar had started to flatten amd melt on sunny slopes by 3 pm. Forecaster
04/05/2023 - 09:00
Snowpack Observation 		Tamarack
Mount Rose Area 		Public
04/04/2023 - 16:00
Snowpack Observation 		Kingsbury
East Shore Area 		Numerous crusts within the top 2ft of snow. My 300cm probe was not touching the ground. Very smooth and planar surfaces remaining after removing the failed ECT columns Professional Observer
04/04/2023 - 12:00
Snowpack Observation 		Tamarack Peak
Mount Rose Area 		Skier triggered cracking in wind-drifted snow on a SW aspect on Tamarack Peak. Large cornices above NE and N facing slopes on Tamarack Peak ECTN results on a wind-loaded test slope on Tamarack Peak. Forecaster

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