Central Sierra Nevada

Avalanche problems

• 

  Loose Wet

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Unlikely

  Size

  1–1.5

  A good refreeze of the snowpack is expected this morning with below freezing overnight temperatures throughout the forecast area.  The upper snowpack should be more supportable today with a couple of good refreezes and multiple previous melt freeze cycles.  The light amounts of new snow that has fallen over the last 2 days exist on the snow surface in some areas.  This new snow will warm quickly today with roller balls and pinwheels occurring and this new snow eventually becoming wet, sticky, and slow throughout the day.  In wind blown areas, multiple inches of wind blown snow could exist with small and patchy wet snow instabilities occurring in these areas.

  Monitor the snow surface conditions in your area.  As daytime warming occurs, look for roller balls and pinwheels indicating that the new snow is getting wet and unstable.  If you encounter deeper unstable pockets of new snow, move around these areas of concern.  Snow surface crusts will melt throughout the day exposing deeper wet snow.  If the snow becomes deep and wet, it's time to move to a different aspect or away from steep avalanche terrain.