Washoe County is working with regional partners to warn residents of avalanches in the high-elevation areas due to the inclement weather.  Avalanche danger is very high and officials are advising citizens to stay out of the backcountry until conditions improve. Ryan Sommers, Fire Chief for North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District. “There is significant risk of avalanche in the Sierras for the coming days and as a safety precaution people should keep out.” The Sierra Avalanche Center has issued a “Considerable” avalanche warning in the greater Lake Tahoe area. The Center uses a five-tier system to identify avalanche risk: low, moderate, considerable, high and extreme. The advisory states that human-triggered avalanches are likely and natural avalanches are possible. The National Weather Service in Reno has updated conditions regarding Winter Storm Warnings, Winter Weather Advisories and Flood Watch on their website.