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Please support the Center. Your donations are important to keeping this program going and bringing you more resources in the future.
Please support the Center. Your donations are important to keeping this program going and bringing you more resources in the future.
Events
Avalanche Classes 
National Ski Patrol:
In Los angeles, ca. Avalanche level 1 Class Jan. 7 & 9 Field Jan. 11 & 12 Avalanche level 2 Class Jan. 28, 30 Feb. 11 & 13 Field Feb. 1, 2, 15 & 16 Sierra Mountain Guides in Bishop Ca. Avalanche Refresher Dec.12, Jan. 12 & 25, Feb. 22 Avalanche level 1 Dec. 27-29, Jan. 3-5, 18-20, Jan 31-Feb 2, Feb. 15-17 Feb. 28- Mar.2 & 14-16 Avalanche level 2 Feb. 7-10 Sierra Mountain Center in Bishop, Ca. Avalanche refresher Dec. 14 & 28 Jan. 4 & 11 Avalanche level 1 Dec. 28-30 Jan. 3-5 & 18-20 Feb. 15-17 March 7-9 & 22-24 Avalanche level 2 Feb. 22-25 |
Avalanche Airbag Recall
BCA (Back Country Access) has issued a recall on their BCA Float models 18, 22, 30, 32, 36 and throttle manufactured between August 2011 through October 2013. For More details go to: cpsc.gov Pre Season UpdateWe would like to thank everyone that was a part of So Cal
Snow last season by visiting the website, posting reports and joining in our
events. You all helped to make our first season a great success.
Fall is here with a light dusting of snow and So Cal Snow Avalanche Center is busy preparing for the upcoming season. We have several free avalanche awareness programs being scheduled starting early winter and continuing into the season. We also have a great fundraising event planned for the beginning of the year. All the dates will be up soon and details will follow. The schedule for the local and nearby avalanche level 1 and level 2 classes are also now available on the site. Find them in the left side bar or on our calendar page and events page very soon. We have been working hard during the off season to bring many things to you and improvements that will be launched throughout the season. We expect to start posting information and bulletins in November or December; as soon as we have enough snow for reports. The center is a non-profit incorporation, and as such we rely on your donations to make everything possible. We are filing our 501(c)3 application and should have tax-exempt status soon. We can issue tax receipts for your donations now so contributions will be deductible. Please visit our sponsors page for more information and details on our levels of sponsorship. If you work at an organization that offers "funds matching" or know of a corporation that would be supportive of the center, we have some great programs for our corporate sponsors. You can donate by check made payable to: So Cal Snow Avalanche Center mailed to P.O. Box 10282 Canoga Park, Ca. 91309 or by pay pal, credit or debit card by clicking the donate button located at the top of this page. The personnel that run this center are all volunteers and your donations go 100% into the center. If you find this center helpful please help us out, every little bit helps however small or great. Thanks for all your postings, visits and support. All of you make the center possible. Thanks to each and every one of you. Avalanche Beacon Park: The biggest thing we are trying to help bring to life for this season is an avalanche beacon training park for the local area. This will be instrumental for the public along with ski patrol and search and rescue to practice and hone their avalanche rescue skills. We are very close, but still need to raise the remaining funds to make this happen. Please contribute through the center and if you would like your donation to go directly to the beacon park mark it as such and we will direct those funds there. Let It Snow !!!! |
Hershon Law
So Cal Snow
Events Free Avalanche awareness Presentations: Solana Beach A16 Jan. 14th San Diego A16 Jan. 15th Tarzana A16 Jan 16th West L.A. A16 Jan. 17th All Presentation start at 7pm More details on the events page. More dates and events TBA soon including our beacons then beer programs at Mt. Baldy and Mt. High and more. SCSAC annual fundraiser event for early January is in the works, date and location TBA soon. |
Awareness and
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12-3-13 Today temperatures are down and skies are partly cloudy. Clouds will build through the day into the evening. Winds are from the West, strong, and will build to gusty and advisory level strength this afternoon through tomorrow morning. There is a chance of snow but amounts are expected to be very little as this system does not have much moisture with it. Snow is most likely this afternoon to overnight. Levels will start around 8000'/ 2440m and drop to around 4000'/ 1220m by Wednesday morning with very little accumulation expected. Little change in the forecast form the previous post which remains here for review: There is a chance of snow and rain Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday with snow levels starting out high and dropping considerably by Wednesday morning. This trough is coming from the interior so moisture is slim and though we may see some snow, amounts are expected to be very little. Wednesday through Friday temperatures will plummet and remain very low especially by California standards. Wednesday will be much colder with mostly cloudy skies and milder winds. Thursday into Saturday will be much clearer with gustier winds and frigid temperatures will remain. Saturday through Sunday brings another small trough into the area with a slight chance of snow and continued cold temps although a bit warmer than the end of the week. This trough is also expected to be moisture poor and little chance for any notable accumulation. Next week looks like it may warm and dry out but that is a ways away yet so keep your eyes on the forecast.
For more details check each areas forecast and weather stations for most current information. |
Keeping up to date...Check out the new SCSAC education blog on the resources page. and look at the new Stewardship page for upcoming events in the local mountains. Best to have Karma on your side when backcountry skiing or climbing, so get involved in local stewardship.
TJ Bowl is in the Mammoth Lakes Basin in the Eastern Sierra. Last Sunday saw a scary incident with rapid warming and a weak snowpack. Check out some photos by clicking here. |
General Caution
You should always use safe terrain management and carry avalanche rescue equipment in the backcountry. Most avalanches are triggered by someone in the party or the victim. Practice with your rescue gear often and be prepared should the worst happen. Though we do not have an avalanche forecast center in this area as of yet, the information posted and shared here as well as the resources available on this site will help to make informed decisions for your backcountry travels. Use avalanche forecasts in your travels wherever available and be aware that avalanche ratings are general information. Elevation, location, geographic variability’s, slope aspect and angle all have effects on the particular area you travel in. This is only one piece of the information you should use in your decision making process. There is no substitute for avalanche education, for more resources and information as well as education please refer to our resources page.
Most recent observations and information will be posted here: Full Reports
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Observation type- Snowpack
Location (general area)- Baden Powell (San Gabriels) Date (yyyymmdd)- 20131124 Time- 11:30Comment- Two days after the storm. Driving to the mountain from the south, it appeared to have no clouds [inversion layer?]. Once in Wrightwood, it became cloudy (obscured) and remained so until Vincent Gap; where I could see the lower elevations of the north sides of Baldy and Pine mountains held clouds and the upper elevations didn’t. The clouds must have just burned off BP. Snow at lower elevations (6500’–8000’) was gloppy, heavy, and melting quickly; while upper elevations (> 8000’) remained dry, and light. By 9:00 even in shady corners, there was no ice on the road but plenty of water; indicating temps hadn’t dipped too far below freezing. Vincent Gap (6500’) had 2–3” of heavy snow, depending on the aspect. The trail well established by hikers with crampons and Yaktrax. Until Lamel Springs (7800’), Eastern aspect snow was melting fast but NE & N aspects held. From Lamel Springs on, snow covered the trail all the way to the summit. The trail area (8000–9200’, N & NE aspects) had 4–8” of fluffy pow. The N/S ridge from 8800’ up to 9200’ was not as wind scoured as Throop the day before; good for hiking, bad for sliding. Once at the “Tree Line” (9240’) serious wind drifts developed. Wind blew up from Mine Gultch and deposited snow—knee-deep—onto the trail along the ridge and N face of BP. Where the PCT turns off (N aspect, 9250’) we got cauliflower snow, sticking to all aspects of trees. On the final switchbacks, sunlight hit at near the angle of the slope revealing a rough surface to the snow [surface hoar?]. The summit itself was pretty windy and warm. Snow was heavily wind compressed (not scoured) and only 2–3” deep of crunchy, hard snow. On the final switchbacks, sunlight hit at near the angle of the slope revealing a rough surface to the snow [facets?]. On the down... The top 200’ North face is awesome and deep. Once at the “tree line” stick to the northeast (trail area or Lamel Springs gully). I took the North ridge and it was pretty low-tide; I got quite a few dings. Either way, below 8000’ it is too shallow to board/ski. Bring your dedicated rockboard/rockskis. You won’t be disappointed. Full Report Here |
Observation type- Snowpack
Location (general area)- Dawson Saddle/Troop Peak (San Gabriels) Date (yyyymmdd)- 20131123 Time- 11:00 Comment- On the drive up, snow stuck to the ground at 6000' and stayed in trees at 7100'. Around Waterman I saw icicles covered in rime, indicating a warm start to the storm which cooled to snow. Hiking from Dawson Saddle south along the ridge to Throop Peak the day after the first storm of the season... @9:30 - 3–4" of heavy powder on Dawson Saddle (7,901'). By 2 PM there was 5–6" of very sticky new snow. Trail is covered enough skin the whole way. Rime on N,NE, & ENE sides of trees. A North/South ridge @ 8,400' is heavily scoured with variable snow depths on E aspects (hard snow drifts, powder pockets, and scoured to rock) and pillowy, wind-transported powder on W aspects. Small, 1–3' high cornices on W side of the ridge. N aspect snow @9000' has been blown firm but not scoured. I found nice 12" of powder on a NW aspect slope @ 8,700'. Wind has blown most snow from summit. Only 3–4" on top @ 9,138' protected by manzanita. Rime has stuck to all sides of trees and rocks at the summit indicating changing wind directions. p.s. Snowboarders, hike this trail without fear of cold necks. I knocked snow off all low hanging branches for you already. Full Report Here |
Observation type- Snowpack
Location (general area)- Mt. San Gorgonio North face Date (yyyymmdd)- 20130407 Time- 11:00am Comment- The surface snow is turning to corn but still mixed with icy patches. Due to the cloud cover was not significant warming to truly soften the snow. I did several quick pits on the way up no full data pits. Profile: -Surface - corn and crust -Upper layer about 15cm well consolidated -Below this loose rounding facets -Below this layer to ground loose rounds and many areas had no rounding facet layer Lots of melt out snow only holding on higher elevation northern aspects. Most snow areas remaining are melted out near the summits. There's still plenty of snow on the northern drainages, and with the warming we had after this visit a good chance of more corn. The run was fun mixed crust and corn. Mt Jepson is holding good snow on the northern slopes as well. A second hand report from a hiker on the trail out had encountered 2 splitboarders the had road Jepson bowl and reported icy conditions. The season is not done yet but the best bet is higher elevation Northern aspects in the San Bernardino's since the got more snow all season long. Full Report Here |
