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Snowpack Summary - Spring, 2026
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 10:30am (this summary applies to the weekend)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
A huge thank you to everyone that supported the avalanche center this season and for all of those that submitted observations. These observations are vital to our operations and the backcountry community at large.
Please continue to share your observations when you get out to the areas still holding snow. Submit Observation
It was an interesting season and there is still snow to be had at our upper elevations, for those that are determined to get it. See our general spring statement below and visit the Observations page for recent submissions.
Interesting is an understatement as our total snowfall in the San Gabriels recorder at 8,000' was 61" with greater amounts in the San Bernardino and at higher elevations in both ranges.
Posted by Allen Giernet @ 10:30am (this summary applies to the weekend)
This summary applies to backcountry areas only.
The Bottom Line –
A huge thank you to everyone that supported the avalanche center this season and for all of those that submitted observations. These observations are vital to our operations and the backcountry community at large.
Please continue to share your observations when you get out to the areas still holding snow. Submit Observation
It was an interesting season and there is still snow to be had at our upper elevations, for those that are determined to get it. See our general spring statement below and visit the Observations page for recent submissions.
Interesting is an understatement as our total snowfall in the San Gabriels recorder at 8,000' was 61" with greater amounts in the San Bernardino and at higher elevations in both ranges.
2026 Spring General Statement
Avalanche forecasts have ended for the 2025-26 season.
Even though it’s spring, avalanche accidents still occur in the mountains. It is your responsibility to decide when, where, and how to travel. Make sure you have the experience and skills to evaluate avalanche danger and match terrain to conditions.
Don’t overlook clear signs of danger, such as recent avalanches, shooting cracks, and rollerballs. Big changes in the weather, including fresh snow, strong winds, and prolonged or rapid warming, can also indicate unstable snow.
Despite the seriously receding snowline and relatively low chance of avalanches in the local mountains it still does not mean no avalanches.
Springtime Avalanche Concerns:
Have a fun and safe spring recreating in the mountains!
The SCSAC Team
Avalanche forecasts have ended for the 2025-26 season.
Even though it’s spring, avalanche accidents still occur in the mountains. It is your responsibility to decide when, where, and how to travel. Make sure you have the experience and skills to evaluate avalanche danger and match terrain to conditions.
Don’t overlook clear signs of danger, such as recent avalanches, shooting cracks, and rollerballs. Big changes in the weather, including fresh snow, strong winds, and prolonged or rapid warming, can also indicate unstable snow.
Despite the seriously receding snowline and relatively low chance of avalanches in the local mountains it still does not mean no avalanches.
Springtime Avalanche Concerns:
- Avalanches frequently occur during and immediately following winter-like storms. This often results in storm and wind slab avalanche issues.
- Danger may increase quickly when sunshine returns after a snowfall, resulting in natural avalanches.
- Avalanche danger can remain elevatied when prolonged spells of warm days and nights prevent the snowpack from freezing. This can result in very large and dangerous “shed-style” wet avalanches, including gouging wet loose, wet slab, glide, and/or cornice falls.
- Warm days and cool, clear nights lead to a daily feeze-thaw cycle, which typically results in smaller and more predictable loose wet avalanches.
- If you see recent avalanches, avoid similar slopes.
- During and after a storm, be leery of slopes greater than 35 degrees, especially if by chance you find more than 6-8” of new snow and during periods of heavy snowfall or wind drifting.
- Plan your day to minimize exposure to areas where avalanches can start, run, and stop during times of increased wet snow avalanche activity. Consider your return route and how conditions may differ on your way back to the trailhead.
- Cornices fall, and snow can shed from steep rocks. Limit or avoid spending time under these hazards.
- During longer stretches of warm sunny weather, avalanche danger is often lowest in the morning and increases through the day.
- During a cold spell with overnight temperatures below freezing be sure to bring the proper equipment. Tools like an ice ax and boot or ski crampons may be essential, depending on where you wish to travel.
- Creeks, and buried rocks/cliff features become more dangerous as the snowpack weakens and melts out around them. Use caution where these hazards exist, and pay attention to what is below you in the event of a slip and fall in steep, snow-covered terrain.
Have a fun and safe spring recreating in the mountains!
The SCSAC Team
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General Mountain Weather Forecast |
Disclaimer:
This Bulletin is designed to generally describe conditions where local variations always occur. Travelers are advised to exercise caution and make slope specific evaluations. As always, please treat this bulletin with appropriately guarded skepticism and make your own assessments. Help to provide more information to the community by reporting your observations
This Bulletin is designed to generally describe conditions where local variations always occur. Travelers are advised to exercise caution and make slope specific evaluations. As always, please treat this bulletin with appropriately guarded skepticism and make your own assessments. Help to provide more information to the community by reporting your observations
Recent Observtions
Click on the observation to go to the full report
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Snowpack Obs 4-18/19-26 San G
Comment - San Gorgonio April 18-19, 2026: Summary: No signs of instability and very pleasant skiing conditions on the North to East facing slopes from the San Gorgonio false and true summits. We hiked South Fork Trail to Dry Lake late Friday night and camped there for two nights. Snow coverage started a 15-ish minute hike from Dry Lake, just below the main chutes on the North Face of the false San Gorgonio summit. We ended up skiing most of the obvious lines with good snow coverage from between the true and false summits of San G (see CalTopo track). The snow was mostly great corn, with eastern aspects being skiable all day and northern aspects softening up by the early afternoon. Some northern aspects also still held relatively dry and soft wind-deposited snow from the last storm. None of the slopes we skied warmed up enough to show signs of instability. However, where the wind-deposited dry snow from the last storm system warms up more it may give rise to wet loose conditions. The ENE aspects of Jepsen appeared to experience those conditions, with clear and widespread pin-wheeling visible from afar. |
Snowpack Obs 4-5-2026
San G Comment - From 10.8k to summit on our aspect was mostly ice. From 10k to 10.8k there was 2-3 inches of semi-consolidated new snow, high moisture content but not wet. Below 10k during the observation period was excellent spring conditions. Was able to get on skis at about 9.3k. |
Avakanche Obs 2-25-26 Mt Baldy Big Butch Wash
Comment - This occurred between 12pm and 1pm . Wet loose slide came from steeper slopes above into runout area less than 25 degrees. 6,400 feet, about a quarter mile up from the road. Thunder Mountain to Big Butch Wash. |
Snowpack Obs 2-23-26 Angeles Crest
Comment - February 23, 2026 Snow pit data ne aspect 8640’ Climbed and skied from 9400’ Started our tour later in the morning... At trailhead by 830am and climbed to 9400’ by 1230. The day started warm, and warm it did stay. New snow from last weeks storm cycle is now transitioning quickly with rapid daytime warming. Below 8k the snow is variable with firm conditions on colder northern aspects and spring conditions on sunnier east aspects. Touring today was met with substantial glopping on our climbing skins while temperatures rose through late morning. Last weeks snow is transitioning fast. Before things warmed up we found the skinning easy going, but that didn’t last long… The stubborn bonding issue we observed and submitted in obvs days prior seems to have sorted itself out as we did not observe any unusual snow behavior while climbing, but it presented itself in today’s snow pit above 8k. We dug in to a shady 30 degree NE aspect at 8650. Total snow depth was 125cm. 25cm from ground is a very stout layer of ice that is almost impenetrable. Above that is a very nice, stable, singular density storm snowpack of 100cm. The snow pack has no weak layers, and is a singular 100cm of cohesive finger, to 3-4 finger density all the way to the surface. We did get a result though. CT23 at 15cm from surface released along the stubborn bonding interface we observed days prior. Although it did not propagate, the collapse was sudden and when pulled off showed a mostly smooth shear surface, Q2. While riding back down, we did observe some evidence of small roller balls, and very small wet slides on west and some east facing aspects, but of no real significance. |
Click on the links below for the latest information
To better understand the challenges and potential variability over the large area we are producing information for please read our Snowpack Summary - Format and Limitations
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.
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.
