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.

A high-pressure ridge over the forecast area should keep skies sunny and clear through tonight. Daytime highs should only reach into the mid 30's above 7000'. Over the next few days, the high pressure should bring a gradual warming trend to the forecast area. The winds should start to decrease today; however, a low-pressure system to the north of the region should cause them to shift to the west and increase again tomorrow.

Even though temperatures stayed in the mid 30's above 7000' yesterday, the intense March sun still softened the top few inches of the snowpack enough to provide fun corn conditions by midday. Near Grouse Rock just south of Alpine Meadows, the sun-exposed E-SE aspects above 7500' had 2-3 inches of soft melt/freeze snow on the surface by 11 am. Below 7500' these aspects had not refrozen well the previous night and had 1-2 ft of wet, loose snow on them by 11 am. Colder daytime highs and consistent strong NE winds kept the snow from melting enough to form widespread, wet-snow instabilities yesterday.

Overnight clear skies and low temperatures in the teen's should have allowed the snowpack to undergo a solid refreeze at all elevations. This refreeze combined with continued northeast winds and cool daytime high temperatures will work to keep the snow surface frozen today. The intense March sun will work to melt the snow and soften the surface. By midday the sun should be able to soften the top few inches of snow on the E-SE-S-SW aspects. In some areas the sun could melt enough snow to form wet-snow instabilities on steep sun-exposed SE-S-SW aspects. These wet-snow instabilities should remain small in most areas. If you find yourself sinking into wet snow up to the top of your boots, move to a safer location on either a more westerly aspect, northerly aspect, or low angle terrain. 

The bottom line:

This morning, avalanche danger is LOW for all elevations and aspects. Pockets of MODERATE danger may develop below treeline on sun-exposed, SE-S-SW aspects, 37 degrees and steeper in response to daytime warming.

Andy Anderson - Avalanche Forecaster, Tahoe National Forest

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

0600 temperature:	14 deg. F.
Max. temperature in the last 24 hours:	38 deg. F.
Average wind direction during the last 24 hours:	Northeast
Average wind speed during the last 24 hours:	45 mph
Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours:	99 mph
New snowfall in the last 24 hours:	O inches
Total snow depth:	142 inches

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

For 7000-8000 ft:
	Monday:	Monday Night:	Tuesday:
Weather:	Sunny	Clear	Partly cloudy
Temperatures:	33-40 deg. F.	24-31 deg. F.	41-47 deg. F.
Wind direction:	Northeast	Northeast	West
Wind speed:	10-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph	10 mph	10 mph increasing to 10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.
For 8000-9000 ft:
	Monday:	Monday Night:	Tuesday:
Weather:	Sunny	Clear	Partly cloudy
Temperatures:	around 32 deg. F.	22-27 deg. F.	40-45 deg. F.
Wind direction:	Northeast	Northeast shifting to the northwest	Northwest shifting to the west
Wind speed:	20-30 mph with gusts to 70 mph decreasing to 10-20 mph in the afternoon	10-15 mph	10-15 mph increasing to 15-25 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.