CALIFORNIA, USA — Avalanche concerns are at the forefront of minds, as another storm moves through the Sierra Saturday. The watch comes just days after an avalanche a Tahoe ski resort killed a man and injured three other people.
An Avalanche Watch for the backcountry has been issued by the United States Forest Service and National Weather Service starting from 7 a.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday. Periods of strong gusts and heavy snow could trigger avalanches for the Central Sierra between Yuba Pass on Highway 49 to Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4.
This includes all the surrounding ski resorts from Donner and Truckee to South Lake Tahoe.
High wind speeds and the potential for one to two feet of snow is expected to load snow over already problematic areas. The Sierra Avalanche Center has reported weak layers sliding under snow loaded on top.
This is seen as a main component for the death of a 66-year-old Point Reyes man Wednesday at Palisades Tahoe. Three others were rescued from the avalanche.
In the past three days, 10 avalanches have been observed around Lake Tahoe mountains with more unstable snow in the area.
The National Weather Service is warning those traveling in, near or below backcountry to avoid these areas.
