Central Sierra Nevada

Variable snow conditions including icy crusts and thick wet snow pose more of an issue than avalanche concerns today. Avalanche activity remains unlikely. Stay alert since some unstable snow may still exist on isolated terrain features especially where the snowpack remains shallow and weak. LOW avalanche danger exists for all elevations. Travel using normal caution and being willing to step back into safer terrain if warranted.

Normal caution

Mostly clear skies during the night should have allowed wet snow that formed yesterday to refreeze in many areas despite above freezing temperatures. As the day warms up, that weak refreeze will start to soften and melt on sunny slopes. Some wet snow will form on sunny aspects but loose wet instabilities should remain limited and small since the January sun is weak and low in the sky and the days are short.  On northerly aspects, expect to find a mix of firm icy surfaces and breakable crusts.

Avalanche activity remains unlikely today even though buried weak layers still exist. No avalanches have been reported on the persistent weak layer in over 2 weeks, and data and observations indicate that the weak layer has become dormant in most places. However, snowpit tests in a few places - specifically in the Carson and Ebbetts Pass areas - continue to yield unstable results on the Dec 11 facets.

Create travel plans focusing on terrain and snow conditions that match your group's skill level. Monitor the snowpack and conditions while traveling and be willing to step back into safer terrain when conditions warrant. Even though the avalanche danger is LOW, stay alert, and don't ignore signs of instability.

Recent Observations:

* Yesterday observations from Andesite Peak and Castle Peak (both in the Donner Summit area) found variable snow surfaces ranging from firm and breakable crusts on northerly aspects to soft melt-freeze snow on top of supportable snow on E-SE-S aspects (the southerly aspects also had the least coverage). Wet thick snow existed on some sheltered slopes where tree cover blocked radiational cooling.   

* The majority of recent observations show improving stability associated with Dec 11 persistent weak layer. In the northern 2/3rds of the forecast area, snowpit tests indicate that the layer has gone dormant. Some unstable test results have continued to occur in the southern 1/3rd of the forecast area, especially in the Carson Pass and Ebbetts Pass areas where the snowpack remains shallower and weaker overall.