State of the Snowpack for 3/7/2020 - 3/13/2020

Dates of the Week: 
3/7/2020 to 3/13/2020
  • Post storm reestablishment of diurnal melt-freeze conditions on solar aspects. Specific to E aspects, the higher sun angle is allowing for increased daily wet snow formation and recent storm snow assimilation much more so than in recent weeks.
  • Northerly aspects near and below treeline hold weakness in the upper snowpack with dry rounded facets from prolonged February dry spell just a few inches below the old snow surface. This may be an issue for deep slab problems with a large snowfall event forecast for March 14-17.
  • Small storm event March 7-8 with 2 to 5 inches along the Sierra Crest and a trace to 1 inch for the Carson Range on the E side of Lake Tahoe.
  • Warming air temperatures through the rest of the week.