Central Sierra Nevada

As the day warms up, wet snow will form on sunny slopes. A person might be able to trigger a small and isolated sluff of wet snow on a steep sunny slope. Larger more problematic avalanches are unlikely. 

Normal caution

Clear skies overnight should have allowed the wet snow that formed yesterday to refreeze despite above freezing night-time temperatures in many places. A stronger refreeze should have occurred in valleys where cold air collected overnight. Today's sunny warm weather will cause enough melting for a few inches of wet snow to form on the E-SE-S-SW-W aspects. Wet snow may also form on lower-angle northerly aspects since the sun will climb high enough in the sky for them to get some indirect sun. Enough wet snow may form today for people to trigger roller-balls, pinwheels, or a small and isolated wet loose sluff in steeper terrain. Large, widespread avalanche activity remains unlikely. 

Pay attention to terrain hazards below you such as cliffs, rocks, creek beds, etc that you don't want to get steered over or into by an otherwise small and inconsequential wet loose sluff. Once more than a couple of inches of wet snow exists on the surface, move towards lower-angle terrain or terrain without the downslope hazards.

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.
• Highly variable snow surface conditions exist across the forecast area with smooth to very rough snow surfaces. Expect to encounter anything from firm ice to soft cold snow to wet snow.
• 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. A new snow load is needed on top of this developing weak layer before slab avalanche problems occur.