Central Sierra Nevada

Shallow wet snow may form on some sunny slopes today, but higher slopes in windy areas may stay frozen.  Avalanches are unlikley. Seek out places and conditions that match your group's skills and goals.

Normal caution

North winds and daytimes highs in the mid to upper 30's will reduce the amount of wet snow that forms today. Windy areas, upper elevation slopes, and slopes that don't receive direct sunshine may stay mostly frozen. A thin layer of soft, wet surface snow may form on some sunny SE-S-SW aspects especially in wind-sheltered areas at lower elevations. This warming should not create enough wet snow for much more than small roller balls or pinwheels. Problematic avalanche activity will remain unlikely.

Talk to your partners and make travel plans targetting terrain and conditions that match your group's skills and goals. Even though the avalanche danger is LOW, move in ways that minimize exposure to avalanche hazards like traveling one at a time in avalanche terrain and regrouping in safe zones out of avalanche terrain and runout zones.

Recent Observations:

* Variable snow surface conditions exist across the forecast area including firm ice, shallow unconsolidated snow, wind-packed surfaces, wind-scoured surfaces, breakable crusts, and spring-like melt/freeze snow.

* Some faceting has begun to occur in the upper snowpack in some areas on northerly aspects. Otherwise, the existing snowpack is well consolidated.

* Large cornices exist along many ridgelines. Some of these have deep fissures behind them where they have pulled away from the ridges.