Central Sierra Nevada

Shallow wet snow may form on some sunny slopes today, but not enough for large sluffs of wet snow. Avalanches are unlikely. Seek out places and conditions that match your group's skills and goals.

Normal caution

Decreased winds, sunny skies, and above freezing temperatures should provide enough warming to create wet surface snow on sunny slopes. Wet snow could exist in more places today than yesterday, but the SE-S-SW aspects will experience the most warming. It is still winter. The sun remains low in the sky, and temperatures are not that warm. Some slopes may stay mostly frozen today, especially at higher elevations, in shaded areas, or on northerly aspects. Today's warming should not create enough wet snow for much more than roller balls or pinwheels. Problematic avalanche activity will remain unlikely.

Talk with your partners and make travel plans targetting terrain and conditions that match your group's skills and goals. Even though the avalanche danger is LOW, move in ways that minimize exposure to avalanche hazards like traveling one at a time in avalanche terrain and regrouping in safe zones out of avalanche terrain and runout zones.

Recent Observations:

* Variable snow surface conditions exist across the forecast area including firm ice, shallow unconsolidated snow, wind-packed surfaces, wind-scoured surfaces, breakable crusts, and spring-like melt/freeze snow.

* Some faceting has begun to occur in the upper snowpack in some areas on northerly aspects. Otherwise, the existing snowpack is well consolidated.

* Large cornices exist along many ridgelines. Some of these have deep fissures behind them where they have pulled away from the ridges.