A few days of winter and a few inches of snow were a welcome change to the predominantly dry pattern this season. Cold winds redistributed new snow though yesterday morning into small shallow drifts on south and westerly aspects. And though ridgelines were scoured in many areas, lower down slopes still held soft wintry snow. But...
Resilient high pressure sets in over the region again today causing temperatures to rise above seasonal averages. Few clouds will impede the sun’s rays from beating down on the soft snow surface and light winds won’t do much to cool the snowpack below the Sierra Crest. Rocks and vegetation will heat the snow around them more quickly than open areas. Lower elevations will see faster warming that alpine slopes. Shift your attention towards rollerballs coming down the hill around you. Take note of how quickly the snow becomes moist, and of how deeply your feet sink into that wet snow. Large pinwheels of rolling snow, and sinking in to your boot tops indicate that the wet snow around you is losing strength. Timing is everything, and getting off of steep solar slopes before they get too warm is your best travel technique for dealing with loose wet avalanches.
Below ~9,000’ rocks and brush are still poking up from the surface and avalanches will have less snow to move down the hill.
