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.

Clear, cold weather should prevail over the forecast area today. The winds shifted to the northeast yesterday and have remained light. Another storm system should impact the forecast area Thursday and Friday with moderate winds and more snow. The winds should begin shifting back to the west and southwest overnight as this system approaches.

Observations from Tamarack Peak and Mt. Judah yesterday continue to show very little slab formation in the new snow even though significant wind loading exists on leeward slopes. Several natural and human triggered cornice failures occurred in the Mt. Judah area. Large refrigerator sized cornice pieces triggered small sluffs in the new snow. No slab fractures occurred. So far no avalanche activity has been reported in the backcountry (if you have seen any or have other snowpack observations please send them to us). Layer bonding tests indicate good bonding between the old snow surfaces and the new snow in these areas as well.

Today, sluffing of the new snow should continue; however, slab avalanches should be unlikely because of the lack of slab formation in the snowpack. Even though avalanches may be unlikely and hard to trigger today, two avalanche concerns still warrant continued attention because any avalanches that occur today could involve large amounts of snow and collisions with large immovable objects like rocks and trees.

First: recently wind loaded areas near and above treeline on NW-N-NE-E aspects. If any slabs exist, they will be on these slopes. 

Second: The 11/26 facet layer that still exists above 7,500' on east wind protected NW-N-NE aspects in near and below treeline areas. While recent stability tests indicate that this layer is handling the stress of the recent storm snow well, fracture propagation potential still exists.

The bottom line:

The avalanche danger is LOW for all elevations and aspects today. Some small, isolated areas of instability may exist on slopes steeper than 35 degrees in the most heavily wind loaded areas above treeline and below treeline on NW-N-NE aspects above 7,500'.

Please share your backcountry observations with us, especially if you see or trigger an avalanche. To report an observation click here.

The bottom line:

The avalanche danger is LOW for all elevations and aspects today. Some small, isolated areas of instability may exist on slopes steeper than 35 degrees in the most heavily wind loaded areas above treeline and below treeline on NW-N-NE aspects above 7,500'.

Andy Anderson - Avalanche Forecaster, Tahoe National Forest

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

0600 temperature:	7 deg. F.
Max. temperature in the last 24 hours:	22 deg. F.
Average wind direction during the last 24 hours:	Northeast
Average wind speed during the last 24 hours:	10 - 15 mph
Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours:	41 mph
New snowfall in the last 24 hours:	O inches
Total snow depth:	30 - 35 inches

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

For 7000-8000 ft:
	Wednesday:	Wednesday Night:	Thursday:
Weather:	Mostly sunny.	Partly cloudy.	Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow in the morning and an increasing chance of snow later in the day.
Temperatures:	20 - 25 deg. F.	12- 17 deg. F.	18 - 25 deg. F.
Wind direction:	East in the morning shifting to the southwest and this afternoon.	Variable	Southwest
Wind speed:	10 to 15 mph this morning decreasing to 10 mph this afternoon.	Light winds.	10 to 15 mph in the morning increasing to 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon.
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	Up to 2 in.
For 8000-9000 ft:
	Wednesday:	Wednesday Night:	Thursday:
Weather:	Mostly sunny.	Partly cloudy.	Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow in the morning and an increasing chance of snow later in the day.
Temperatures:	17 - 21 deg. F.	10 - 15 deg. F.	17 - 23 deg. F.
Wind direction:	East in the morning shifting to the southwest and this afternoon.	Southwest shifting to the west after midnight.	West in the morning shifting to the southwest in the afternoon.
Wind speed:	10 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph in the morning decreasing to 5 to 10 mph this afternoon.	10 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph after midnight.	20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph in the morning increasing to 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 70 mph in the afternoon.
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	Up to 2 in.