Central Sierra Nevada

Cold temperatures and wind will limit snow surface softening to lower elevation and wind protected terrain.   Blowing snow should be more limited today as wind speeds decrease.  Avalanche activity continues to remain unlikely. 

Normal caution

NE winds this morning are in the moderate to strong range along the Sierra Crest and are forecasted to further decrease throughout the day.  Cold overnight temperatures with NE winds will continue to limit snow surface softening in wind exposed and higher elevation areas.  Any snow softening will occur on sun exposed slopes in lower elevation and wind protected terrain.  Blowing snow yesterday was observed throughout the forecast area at all elevations.  The gale force winds scoured through previous wind crusts, near surface facets, rain crusts, and into older snow in some areas.  Wind drifted snow had irregular distribution with the extreme winds, but some small pockets of wind slabs could still exist in isolated areas throughout the forecast area.

Make a plan before heading out into the backcountry.  Make sure everyone in your group carries avalanche rescue gear and knows how to use it.  Practice safe travel protocols by only exposing one person at a time to avalanche terrain and regrouping out of avalanche terrain and avalanche run out zones.

Recent Observations:

• Snow surface conditions remain highly variable across the forecast area. Expect to encounter firm ice, firm snow, shallow soft snow, breakable crusts, and melt-freeze snow.
• A well-bonded and consolidated snowpack exists across nearly all aspects and elevations. Gradual near-surface faceting continues to weaken the top portion of the snowpack on most NW-N-NE aspects with wind protection.  A new snow load is needed on top of this developing weak layer before slab avalanche problems occur.