Central Sierra Nevada

Snow surface melt on sun exposed slopes may allow for the triggering of some small and isolated wet snow sluffs by backcountry travelers in steeper terrain. Larger more problematic avalanches are unlikely today.  If you are able to trigger sluffs of wet snow, move to lower angle terrain.

Normal caution

Warmer air temperatures today at the mid and upper elevations combined with light winds will drive melt and surface wet snow formation on sun exposed slopes. The storm snow from Tuesday is either close to or has become fully assimilated with the older melt-freeze layer across sun exposed areas on E-SE-S-SW-W aspects. Small and isolated surface wet snow sluffs are possible today but larger problematic avalanches remain unlikely. If you are triggering roller balls, pinwheels, or wet snow sluffs, move to lower angle terrain.

Recent Observations:

• Snowmelt has sped up over the last two weeks exposing more obstacles (rocks, bushes, etc) and areas of bare ground on SE-S-SW aspects.
• The light snowfall from Feb 15 helped to smooth the previously rough snow surfaces in some areas. Variable snow surface conditions ranging from firm ice to soft snow remain widespread.
• A well-bonded and consolidated snowpack exists across nearly all aspects and elevations. Gradual near-surface faceting has created weak snow in the top portion of the snowpack on many wind-protected and semi-wind protected NW-N-NE aspects. For the most part, more new snow is needed on top of this weak layer before slab avalanche problems occur. A wind slab on top of this faceted snow has been seen in very isolated distribution on cross-loaded and shaded NW aspect near treeline to below treeline terrain.