Is the risk of avalanche in the Sierra Nevada gone after a storm? Expert says no
After nearly a full week of heavy snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada, which brought multiple feet to some portions of the mountain, blue skies are on the horizon.
In Truckee, near the area of the Sierra where 15 skiers were caught in a historic fatal avalanche Tuesday, snowfall is predicted to end by Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. On Friday and Saturday, mostly clear skies with no precipitation will welcome the weekend.
However, despite bluebird conditions expected across the mountain, backcountry skiing will still not be completely safe from avalanches.
Wendy Antibus, education manager for the Sierra Avalanche Center, said forecasters are concerned about avalanche risks as skiers and snowboarders are eager to lay tracks in the fresh powder.
Here’s what to know going into the weekend.
Is there still a risk of avalanche in the Lake Tahoe backcountry this weekend?
Antibus said that when snowfall ends, the leftover snowpack is what causes dangerous conditions for avalanches in the backcountry.
“It’s easy to have a perception that things are safe because it’s a nice day,” she said.
After a relatively dry January, the existing snowpack in the Sierra is “fairly weak,” Antibus said. With certain portions of the mountain getting multiple feet of snow in just a few days, the new snowfall lays heavily on the weaker lower layers.
Antibus said this specific set of conditions is not usually found in the Sierra Nevada, rather it is more common around mountains in Utah and Colorado.
“I think people are used to, when the storm stops, that avalanches are less likely, and that might not be the case this weekend,” she said.
Antibus said forecasters at the Sierra Avalanche Center are concerned about a swath of people descending into the backcountry’s slopes and triggering numerous avalanches. As of Thursday afternoon, the avalanche center’s risk forecast for the central Sierra Nevada on Friday was “considerable.”
“We just really want people to recognize that ... it doesn’t mean that conditions are safe to travel in avalanche terrain,” she said. “They should really carefully plan their trip if they are going out this weekend, to avoid the areas where avalanches can happen.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Is the risk of avalanche in the Sierra Nevada gone after a storm? Expert says no."
