General Avalanche Information
Issued
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 – 11:11AM
Author
Clancy Nelson
Eastside Region
Bottom Line
Winter weather is expected to move into our area later this week. As new snow accumulates, slabs of wind-drifted snow will be the biggest concern on steep, downwind slopes with the best coverage. If enough snow accumulates to make riding appealing, buried obstacles will be a significant hazard.
Forecast Discussion
Fall storms brought snow to the Eastern Sierra on October 14th-15th and November 6th-7th. Warm, dry periods following these events melted most areas back to bare ground. Isolated north-facing chutes, bowls, and steep slopes under cliff bands have maintained continuous snow cover above about 9,500 feet.
On these shady terrain features, the existing snow consists of weak, sugary facets. Some open slopes have a breakable crust at the surface. As new snow falls in these areas, it will form a layered snowpack with a weak base. That could contribute to avalanches if enough accumulates.
As of today, November 11th, a storm is expected to bring a foot or more of new snow to elevations above about 9,500 feet across the forecast area Wednesday night through Friday. Strong winds will cause drifting onto leeward slopes.
Where new snow falls on bare ground, avalanches will be unlikely until enough accumulates to cover rocks and bushes. The biggest concern will be slabs of wind-drifted snow that form on older, weak snow leftover from October.
Right now, there’s not enough snow to ride. But as more slopes begin to look appealing, rocks and logs will become a hazard. Getting caught in an early-season avalanche often has elevated consequences that involve hitting obstacles on the way down. Take that into consideration if you venture out during or after the coming storm.
ESAC has begun the process of reopening for the 2025-2026 season, and we are excited for new snow! We will continue to update this early-season advisory as the snowpack evolves, and we will begin daily forecasts as soon as conditions allow. In the meantime, we have a few suggestions on things you can do to prepare for a successful backcountry season.
- Use our Weather Resource page to track current conditions.
- Check out our Online Avalanche Education page for a wide variety of free online resources.
- If you head into the mountains, let us know what you see. Our Observations page is waiting for you.
This information is provided by the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center and describes general backcountry avalanche hazard and conditions. It does not apply to ski areas and highways where avalanche mitigation is conducted.
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