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 low-pressure system north of the forecast area should keep skies mostly cloudy today. Some scattered snow showers could continue along the Sierra Crest this morning; however, the forecast calls for little to no accumulation. The west-southwest winds increased yesterday afternoon and should remain strong through tonight. These winds should start to decrease as a high-pressure ridge moves over the forecast area during the next 24 hours. Overnight and during the day tomorrow, cloud cover should decrease and temperatures should increase due to this high-pressure.

Observations:

Yesterday observations in the Mt. Rose backcountry and on Scout Peak (Echo Summit area) continued to point to a mostly stable snowpack. Layer bonding tests showed that it is taking more force to break the bonds holding the layers of recent snow together. These tests also showed that even if the bonds do break, it is difficult for that fracture to propagate through the snowpack. Some very small, isolated cracking did occur on a NE-facing test slope near treeline in the Mt. Rose area. This cracking only occurred within 2 ft of the ridgeline in a area of drifted snow. Small drifts like that one did indicate some snow transport by the southwest winds. The northerly aspects in the Mt. Rose area still held soft, unconsolidated snow. On Scout Peak most aspects had a thin layer of wet snow on the surface by mid afternoon. This layer of wet snow should have refrozen last night and created a thin breakable surface crust. Expect this type of thin melt-freeze crust on most southerly and lower elevation northerly aspects today.

Avalanche Concerns:

Most avalanche activity will remain unlikely today; however, avalanches are not impossible. Continue to use caution when traveling in the backcountry. The snowpack should continue to gain strength as it settles and consolidates. Even though the southwest winds increased overnight, the lack of snow available for transport should keep newly-formed wind-slabs small and isolated today. In the most heavily wind-loaded areas near and above treeline a few small, shallow, isolated pockets of unstable wind-slabs sensitive to human-triggering and large enough to push a person around may have formed. The forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies today. These clouds should keep most wet-snow instabilities at bay for another day. However, if the weather does not cooperate with the forecast and the sun does come out for several hours today, it could warm the snow surface enough for some wet-snow instabilities like roller-balls and loose, point-release slides to occur.

The bottom line:

The avalanche danger is LOW for most areas. A few small isolated pockets of MODERATE danger may exist on heavily wind-loaded N-NE-E aspects steeper than 37 degrees near and above treeline today. Even though most avalanche activity is unlikely today, avalanches are not impossible. Use normal caution when traveling in the backcountry.

Andy Anderson - Avalanche Forecaster, Tahoe National Forest

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

0600 temperature:	25 deg. F.
Max. temperature in the last 24 hours:	33 deg. F.
Average wind direction during the last 24 hours:	West southwest
Average wind speed during the last 24 hours:	30 mph
Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours:	72 mph
New snowfall in the last 24 hours:	trace inches
Total snow depth:	70-110 inches

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

For 7000-8000 ft:
	Friday:	Friday Night:	Saturday:
Weather:	Mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers in the morning.	Mostly cloudy	Partly cloudy
Temperatures:	34-41 deg. F.	17-24 deg. F.	37-44 deg. F.
Wind direction:	West	Southwest	Southwest
Wind speed:	10-20 mph with gusts to 35 mph	10-15 mph with gusts to 40 mph	10 mph becoming light in the afternoon
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.
For 8000-9000 ft:
	Friday:	Friday Night:	Saturday:
Weather:	Mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers in the morning.	Mostly cloudy	Partly cloudy
Temperatures:	34-40 deg. F.	18-25 deg. F.	32-42 deg. F.
Wind direction:	West	West	Southwest
Wind speed:	20-30 mph with gusts to 50 mph increasing to 60 mph in the afternoon	20-30 mph with gusts to 55 mph decreasing to 10-15 mph with gusts to 40 mph after midnight	10 mph with gusts to 25 mph
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.