For the first time the National Weather Service will start issuing avalanche warning. They will re-transmite avalanche forecast made by U.S. National Forest Service Avalanche Centers to help protect life and property.
Here is a look at their first avalanche warning for the Reno/Tahoe area.
Avalanche Warning
CAZ072-NVZ002-311500- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED AVALANCHE WARNING U.S. FOREST SERVICE SIERRA AVALANCHE CENTER RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 755 AM PST THU JAN 30 2014 THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE SIERRA AVALANCHE CENTER. ...AN AVALANCHE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THURSDAY UNTIL 7 AM FRIDAY... THE CURRENT AVALANCHE DANGER IS HIGH. HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER EXISTS ON SLOPES STEEPER THAN 30 DEGREES AT AND BELOW TREELINE TERRAIN ON NW-N-NE ASPECTS DUE TO NEW HEAVY SNOW SLABS SITING ON TOP OF PERSISTENT WEAK LAYERS. NATURAL AND HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE VERY LIKELY ON THESE SLOPES TODAY. CONSIDERABLE AVALANCHE DANGER EXISTS ON THE WIND LOADED NW-N-NE-E-SE ASPECTS AT AND ABOVE TREELINE TERRAIN DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF NEWLY FORMED WIND SLABS ON SLOPES 35 DEGREES AND STEEPER. MODERATE AVALANCHE DANGER EXISTS ON ALL OTHER ASPECTS. TRAVEL IN, AROUND, OR NEAR AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED TODAY. THIS WARNING WAS POSTED AT 7 AM THURSDAY AND COVERS THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS BETWEEN YUBA PASS ON THE NORTH AND EBBETTS PASS ON THE SOUTH. THIS WARNING APPLIES ONLY TO BACKCOUNTRY AREAS OUTSIDE OF ESTABLISHED SKI AREA BOUNDARIES. THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PROVIDED BY THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE...WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT. THIS WARNING DESCRIBES GENERAL AVALANCHE CONDITIONS AND LOCAL VARIATIONS ALWAYS OCCUR. HIGH AVALANCHE DANGER INDICATES THAT VERY DANGEROUS AVALANCHE CONDITIONS EXIST...NATURAL AVALANCHES ARE LIKELY AND HUMAN TRIGGERED AVALANCHES ARE VERY LIKELY. TRAVEL IN OR BELOW AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION GO TO WWW.SIERRAAVALANCHECENTER.ORG OR CALL THE AVALANCHE HOTLINE AT 530 587 3558.