This avalanche advisory is provided through a partnership between the Tahoe National Forest and the Sierra Avalanche Center. This advisory covers the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains between Yuba Pass on the north and Ebbetts Pass on the south. Click here for a map of the forecast area. This advisory applies only to backcountry areas outside established ski area boundaries. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur. This advisory expires 24 hours after the posted time unless otherwise noted. The information in this advisory is provided by the USDA Forest Service who is solely responsible for its content.

This advisory was posted on March 1, 2008 7:00 AM
Click here for a detailed map of the SAC forecast area

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Today's Advisory:

The avalanche danger is LOW for all elevations and aspects today.

A cold front moved into the forecast area overnight causing temperatures to fall back down into the 20's. The strong southwest winds associated with this front peaked overnight with maximum gusts reaching 106 mph along the Sierra Crest and 117 mph in the Mount Rose area. These winds should begin to calm down today and the temperatures should stay cooler. Some isolated snow showers that should not produce any significant accumulation will linger in the northern part of the forecast area this morning. As the cold front passes to the south and east, a high pressure ridge with northeasterly flow should build into the area on Sunday.

Observations from the Mount Rose area, Jakes Peak, and Mount Lola over the last three days show that the snow surface is a mix of breakable melt/freeze crusts, wind crusts, and small pockets of unconsolidated snow on northerly aspects and melt/freeze snow on southerly aspects. Below the surface the snowpack continues to gain strength on all aspects. Low temperatures overnight and during the day today should allow the snow surfaces the melted yesterday to refreeze. Cloudy skies, lower temperatures, and a strong overnight refreeze should allow these snow surfaces to remain frozen for most of the day making wet snow avalanche activity unlikely today.

The refrozen melt/freeze snow will also be very difficult for the winds to transport. This lack of unconsolidated surface snow on windward aspects and a lack of any significant new snow fall will prevent the winds from forming new wind slabs today. Without new wind slabs avalanche activity is also unlikely on leeward aspects today.

The bottom line: The avalanche danger is LOW for all elevations and aspects today.

Please send us your snow, weather, and avalanche observations by clicking the submit observations link on our contact page.

Andy Anderson, Avalanche Forecaster

Today's Central Sierra Weather Observations:
0600 temperature at Sierra Crest (8,700 feet): 25 deg. F
Max. temperature at Sierra Crest past 24 hours: 46 deg. F.
Average wind direction at Sierra Crest past 24 hours: Southwest
Average wind speed at Sierra Crest past 24 hours: 50-55 mph
Maximum wind gust at Sierra Crest past 24 hours: 106 mph
New snow fall at 8,200 feet past 24 hours: trace
Total snow depth at 8,200 feet: 86 inches
Mountain Weather Forecast For Today:
Partly cloudy with isolated snow showers.
Temperature forecast for 8,000 to 9,000 feet: 26 to 36 deg. F
Ridgetop winds forecast for the Sierra Crest: Southwest at 40 to 55 mph with gusts to 90 mph shifting to the west and decreasing to 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45 mph in the afternoon
Snowfall expected in the next 24 hours: trace
2 Day Mountain Weather Forecast:

7000 to 8000 Feet:
Today, partly cloudy with isolated snow showers and daytime highs 35 to 45 deg. F. Winds out of the southwest at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph shifting to the west and decreasing to 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 35 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight, clear with overnight lows 14 to 22 deg. F. Winds out of the north at 10 mph with gusts to 30 mph shifting to the east after midnight.

For Sunday, sunny with daytime highs 30 to 40 deg. F. Winds out of the east at 10 to 15 mph.

Above 8000 Feet:
Today, partly cloudy with isolated snow showers and daytime highs 26 to 36 deg. F. Winds out of the southwest at 40 to 55 mph with gusts to 90 mph shifting to the west and decreasing to 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight, clear with overnight lows 14 to 22 deg. F. Winds out of the north at 10 to 15 mph with gusts to 30 mph shifting to the east after midnight.

For Sunday, sunny with daytime highs 26 to 36 deg. F. Winds out of the northeast at 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.

The bottom line:

Andy Anderson - Avalanche Forecaster, Tahoe National Forest

Weather Observations from along the Sierra Crest between 8200 ft and 8800 ft:

0600 temperature:	deg. F.
Max. temperature in the last 24 hours:	deg. F.
Average wind direction during the last 24 hours:
Average wind speed during the last 24 hours:	mph
Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours:	mph
New snowfall in the last 24 hours:	O inches
Total snow depth:	inches

Two-Day Mountain Weather Forecast - Produced in partnership with the Reno NWS

For 7000-8000 ft:
	Saturday:	Saturday Night:	Sunday:
Weather:
Temperatures:	deg. F.	deg. F.	deg. F.
Wind direction:
Wind speed:
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.
For 8000-9000 ft:
	Saturday:	Saturday Night:	Sunday:
Weather:
Temperatures:	deg. F.	deg. F.	deg. F.
Wind direction:
Wind speed:
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.