Central Sierra Nevada

Warming air temperatures today and light winds will allow for widespread surface wet snow formation on sun exposed slopes.  Isolated small sluffs of surface wet snow triggered by backcountry travelers may occur on steeper sun exposed slopes.  Larger more problematic avalanches remain unlikely. 

Normal caution

Air temperatures are above freezing at nearly all locations above the mountain valley floors this morning courtesy of inversion conditions. Ridgetop winds are decreasing this morning and are forecast to become light as the day progresses. The sun angle is noticeably higher than it was a few weeks ago, increasing the amount of incoming solar radiation. All of this adds up to the potential for a few inches of surface wet snow formation across the ESE-SE-S-SW-WSW aspects today. Triggering small and isolated wet loose sluffs is a possibility today in steeper terrain.

While larger more problematic avalanches remain unlikely, pay attention to downslope terrain hazards 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 surface wet snow is present, move towards lower angle terrain or terrain without the downslope hazards.

Recent Observations:

• Snowmelt has sped up over the last two weeks exposing more rock and areas of bare ground on SE-S-SW aspects.
• Highly variable snow surface conditions exist across the forecast area. Expect to encounter anything from firm ice to soft snow, cold snow to wet snow, and smooth to very rough snow surfaces.
• 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.