0600 temp. at 6350′ in Carnelian Bay: 35.2 deg. & 74% RH

Backcountry obs.:

It was a beautiful weekend in Tahoe as the first consistent string of sunny and warm days moved in for the first time in recent memory. Despite having mainly lackluster storms all season, the Sierra hasn’t had a stretch of clear, warm days like we often receive, even in Jan. and Feb. Reports from across the Tahoe backcountry over the weekend showed transitional snow that, despite the premature expectations for corn snow, had not yet fully transitioned and in many cases was still cold and wintry. Proper corn snow needs many days of consistent melt/freeze conditions and looking back at the season, those conditions really didn’t arrive until this warm spell.

Yesterday on Mt. Tallac, veins and panels of corn existed on SE and S aspects above treeline around 1030, but did not warm particularly fast due to some passing high clouds and very light E breezes. Temps at dawn were in the upper 20s at lake level keeping the forest snowpack firm and good for travel. Higher on the mountain, more wind effected snow prevailed with only SE facing sides of gullies and bowls hosting transitional buttery snow and “baby corn”. Higher up and on shady aspects, cold, wind effected snow with nary a touch of warmth filled bowls and chutes. Despite the transitional nature of the snow, the skiing on open, solar aspects was fast, fun, and edgeable – a great intro to spring.

Weather and forecast thoughts:

Warm, spring-like weather will only amplify today and tomorrow and continue through Weds/Thurs. Spring officially arrives tomorrow with the equinox occurring at 8:06pm. Expect highs well into the 50s around the lake with sunny skies, light winds and occasional high clouds drifting through. Lows should promote surface refreezes of the snowpack, aiding in melt/freeze corn cycle.

The blocking ridge responsible for this week’s warm, dry weather will begin weakening on Weds., eventually getting replaced by a trough of low pressure dropping in from the NW over the weekend. The result will be a return to cool and unsettled weather with snow returning to areas above 7000′ by Sat. and Sun. Enjoy the warm weather now, because winter’s coming back for a while.

Next week looks like it could be even stormier with a few models showing decent storms bringing a return of appreciable snowfall to Tahoe. This pattern continues through the end of the month, hopefully resettling and bulking up the snowpack for the spring.