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.

Yesterday's weak storm system only deposited up to 2 inches of snow in some areas. Most areas only received trace accumulations of new snow. The southwest winds did transport some snow during the day. These winds started to calm down as a high-pressure ridge started building over the forecast area. This high-pressure should keep the winds light and bring mostly clear sunny skies to the forecast area today. Some clouds should start to move into the area tonight and tomorrow ahead of another weak low-pressure.

Observations:

Some small, fragile, stiff, and dense wind-slabs did form on wind-loaded slopes near and above treeline by mid-day yesterday. These wind-slabs formed on top of less dense, softer snow. Skier-triggered shooting cracks occurred on Silver Peak as the newly-formed wind-slabs broke away from the snow below them. Layer bonding tests showed that weak bonds existed between these newly-formed wind-slabs and the snow below them. These tests also showed that once these bonds break the resulting fracture can travel through the snowpack along the boundary between the wind-slabs and the softer snow below them. In areas without any wind affected snow observations indicated a mostly stable snowpack.

Avalanche concern #1:

The wind-slabs that formed yesterday will remain the #1 avalanche concern today. Even though the winds did continue to load leeward slopes during the day yesterday, these wind-slabs should remain relatively shallow and small in most areas due to the lack of new snow accumulation and the decrease in wind speed overnight. The scattered nature of yesterday's snowfall should also limit this instability to pockets of terrain rather than being more widespread. Some larger wind-slabs could have formed in the most heavily wind-loaded areas near and above treeline that received more snow yesterday. Regardless of their size, human-triggering of avalanches involving these wind-slabs will remain possible today. Small avalanches can still have serious consequences. Pockets of unstable wind-slabs will most likely exist on wind-loaded, NW-N-NE-E aspects.

The bottom line:

Near and above treeline, pockets of MODERATE avalanche danger remain on wind-loaded, NW-N-NE-E aspects, 37 degrees and steeper. Below treeline, avalanche danger is LOW in wind protected areas.

Andy Anderson - Avalanche Forecaster, Tahoe National Forest

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

0600 temperature:	19 deg. F.
Max. temperature in the last 24 hours:	24 deg. F.
Average wind direction during the last 24 hours:	Southwest
Average wind speed during the last 24 hours:	10-15 mph
Maximum wind gust in the last 24 hours:	52 mph
New snowfall in the last 24 hours:	trace to 2 inches
Total snow depth:	73-109 inches

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

For 7000-8000 ft:
	Sunday:	Sunday Night:	Monday:
Weather:	Sunny in the morning becoming partly cloudy this afternoon.	Partly cloudy with increasing clouds after midnight.	Mostly cloudy
Temperatures:	27-35 deg. F.	15-25 deg. F.	29-37 deg. F.
Wind direction:	Southwest	Variable	Variable
Wind speed:	Light	Light	Light
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.
For 8000-9000 ft:
	Sunday:	Sunday Night:	Monday:
Weather:	Sunny in the morning becoming partly cloudy this afternoon.	Partly cloudy with increasing clouds after midnight.	Mostly cloudy
Temperatures:	20-27 deg. F.	14-24 deg. F.	24-34 deg. F.
Wind direction:	Southwest	Southwest	Southwest
Wind speed:	Light	up to 10 mph	10 mph
Expected snowfall:	O in.	O in.	O in.