Central Sierra Nevada

Problematic avalanches remain unlikely on a regional scale. Still, warmer sunny weather could create some shallow wet snow that might slide down isolated steep sunny slopes today. Continue to use best-practice backcountry travel techniques, such as only exposing one person at a time to steep slopes and assessing the snow and terrain as you travel. 

While some areas of wet snow may form today, avalanches large enough to bury a person should remain unlikely on a regional scale.

The wind should finally start to calm down today. The recent strong winds have left their mark on most open slopes near and above treeline. If your travel plans take you into alpine terrain near exposed ridges, gullies, and open areas, expect to find a mix of uneven, wind-sculpted features, firm, wind-packed snow, and scoured ice crusts. Below treeline, softer, more consistent snow still lingers on shaded slopes protected from the wind, like tree-covered slopes and areas where other terrain blocks the wind. In addition to holding more enjoyable snow conditions, traveling in these areas can help reduce exposure to firm, challenging snow surface conditions

The decrease in NE winds will also let today's sunny skies and warmer weather melt through the thin surface crusts on some sunny slopes. A shallow layer of wet surface snow may form on sun-exposed slopes once this crust melts later in the day. It may feel much warmer than it has, but it is still January. The combination of a solid overnight refreeze, weak January sun, and relatively gradual warming should help limit the amount of wet snow that forms. Still, enough wet snow may form for a backcountry traveler to trigger a small, mostly inconsequential wet loose avalanche on an isolated, steep, sunny slope.