The avalanche danger should remain LOW at all elevations and on all aspects today. While daytime warming may cause some minor surface softening on sun exposed aspects, it should not create enough wet snow to pose a significant hazard to backcountry travelers. Continue to use normal caution when traveling in the backcountry.
Avalanche problems remain unlikely today. Some softening may occur on sun exposed SE-S-SW aspects, but cooler daytime highs, northerly winds, and increasing cloud cover should limit the amount of wet snow that forms. Northerly aspects should remain firm and frozen. Continue to use normal caution while traveling in the backcountry.
On the south side of Mt. Lincoln yesterday, corn conditions prevailed on the sun exposed E-SE-S-SW-W aspects where snow cover remained, but many areas of exposed ground had melted out on the SE-S-SW-W aspects. On NW aspects in this area, a firm supportable melt-freeze crust existed above a well bonded snowpack. On Rubicon Peak the a thinner melt-freeze crust existed on northerly aspects with 3 to 4 inches of soft sugary snow (near surface facets) below it. East of Lake Tahoe on Tamarack Peak, these near surface facets existed on some northerly aspects without a melt freeze crust on the surface.
In most places across the forecast area, melt-freeze conditions exist on top of a well consolidated and well bonded snowpack. A layer of near surface facets up to 6 in. thick does exist at the snow surface on some isolated near and below treeline NW-N-NE wind sheltered and shaded slopes above 8000 ft. This soft weak layer of snow rests above a frozen rain crust that could serve as an efficient bed surface for snow to slide on. Since no slab exists above this weak layer/bed surface combination, it does not represent a problem for today. However, it could become a problem this weekend if the new snow and wind currently in the forecast create slabs on top of it.
