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.

Spring weather is on tap for today. Daytime highs should reach into the low 40's above 8000' and upper 40's to low 50's between 7000' and 8000'. Some clouds and increased west and northwest winds should affect the forecast area this afternoon and tonight due to a low-pressure system east of the region. By tomorrow northerly flow and mostly sunny skies should return.

Yesterday, the strong overnight refreeze, cooler daytime temperatures, and cool northerly winds all helped keep any large, widespread wet-snow instabilities from forming. Observations on Mt. Tallac showed a frozen snow surface above 8800' until after 12:30 pm on all aspects. On the northerly aspects below 8800', a breakable crust existed on top of cold, unconsolidated snow in most areas. On the SE-S-SW aspects below 8800', excellent corn conditions existed by 12:00 pm with 2-3 inches of soft melt/freeze snow on the surface and a frozen supportable melt/freeze crust under this soft surface snow. By 2 pm areas of unconsolidated, wet snow 1-2 feet deep had formed near rocks and on slopes with a shallow snowpack on the SE-S-SW aspects. No avalanche activity was reported yesterday.

Today, the warmer air temperatures and intense March sunshine should cause more snow to melt more quickly than yesterday. This melting will dissolve the bonds holding the snow together making the snowpack weaker until the bonds can refreeze tonight. Expect a shorter time-period that occurs earlier in the day for safe and fun snow conditions today. By this afternoon enough melting could occur for  wet-snow instabilities to form on steep sun-exposed E-SE-S-SW aspects. Afternoon cloud cover could help limit wet-snow instabilities if the clouds block enough of the sun's radiation. If you find yourself sinking into wet snow up to the top of your boots or start seeing/triggering pinwheels and roller-balls, 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 should develop at all elevations on sun-exposed, E-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:	31 deg. F.
Max. temperature in the last 24 hours:	43-46 deg. F.
Average wind direction during the last 24 hours:	Northeast shifting to the west and northwest after midnight
Average wind speed during the last 24 hours:	23 mph
Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours:	69 mph
New snowfall in the last 24 hours:	O inches
Total snow depth:	141 inches

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

For 7000-8000 ft:
	Tuesday:	Tuesday Night:	Wednesday:
Weather:	Mostly sunny in the morning becoming mostly cloudy this afternoon	Mostly cloudy becoming partly cloudy after midnight	Mostly sunny
Temperatures:	44-52 deg. F.	24-30 deg. F.	44-51 deg. F.
Wind direction:	Northwest	West shifting to the northwest	North
Wind speed:	10 mph increasing to 15-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph in the afternoon	10-20 mph with gusts to 30 mph decreasing to 10-15 mph after midnight	10-15 mph with gusts to 25 mph
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.
For 8000-9000 ft:
	Tuesday:	Tuesday Night:	Wednesday:
Weather:	Mostly sunny in the morning becoming mostly cloudy this afternoon	Mostly cloudy becoming partly cloudy after midnight	Mostly sunny
Temperatures:	38-44 deg. F.	22-29 deg. F.	37-43 deg. F.
Wind direction:	Northwest	Northwest	North
Wind speed:	10-20 mph increasing to 15-25 mph with gusts to 40 mph in the afternoon	20-35 mph with gusts to 70 mph	20-30 mph with gusts to 60 mph
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.