Central Sierra Nevada

Avalanche activity has grown unlikely, but some weak snow still lingers at the base of the snowpack on high-elevation, shady slopes. Talk with your group to make plans that match your skills with the current conditions. Carry avalanche safety gear, only expose one person at a time when traveling in steep terrain, and regroup in safe zones. 

Over 7500 feet, many parts of the forecast area hold 2 to 3 feet of snow on the NW-N-NE-E aspects. Southerly aspects hold less snow, and spring-like weather continues to melt snow. Like snow coverage, snow conditions also vary by aspect and elevation. A few inches of soft, cold snow lingers on the surface of shady, northerly facing slopes, while sunny slopes hold thin sun crusts or wet snow depending on the time of day. In near and above treeline areas, more exposed terrain has more wind-affected snow surfaces. Plenty of obstacles like rocks, bushes, logs, trees, and flowing creeks remain exposed or just barely covered, especially at the lower elevations. 

Below the surface snow, more consolidated, dense, supportable layers of snow exist in the middle of the snowpack. Soft, weak, faceted snow still lurks at the base of the snowpack on NW-N-NE and maybe some E aspects at elevations above 8000 to 8500 ft. Snowpit tests and observations targeting this layer show that it has gained strength in most places. Some tests continue to produce unstable results in the southern part of the forecast area, where a shallower and weaker snowpack exists. 

Take the early season conditions into account while making travel plans. It is a great time of year to set habits that will last all season long. Discuss the current conditions with your crew and make plans that match your group's skills, goals, and fitness with appropriate terrain and conditions. Debriefing at the end of the day can help refine your group's decision-making and communication skills. Submitting an observation with your group can help guide that debrief and also help provide more data for the avalanche forecast!