Tahoe Backcountry Snow

Backcountry Obs:

The season is wrapping up. Snow at all but the highest elevations is turning into a singular mass of melt/freeze snow while lower elevation zones are burning out completely. Below 7000′, trails in North Lake have reappeared and meadows now budding into delicate green hues. ‘Tis the season of skiing, biking, paddling, (insert mountain activity) all in the same day.

Above 8000′, coverage remains good, especially in shady zones, but surface conditions are sporty. Forest litter covers an ever-wavier snowpack in sheltered areas, while open zones host spring corn or icy refrozen surfaces, depending on timing. If the itch of warmer temps hasn’t lured you away onto the reappearing trails, now’s the time to get into the bigger peaks where the snowpack is largely stable, weather’s calm, and long days facilitate deep missions.

Timing is critical in spring. Depending on the strength of overnight refreezes, mid-morning through early afternoon can host the best corn as snow surfaces thaw each day. Too early and the skiing is firm and chattery. Too late and snow turns to manky, hot mush. Time it just right and the rewards are smooth, buttery bliss.

Weather and forecast thoughts:

The current spring pattern is locked in for the foreseeable future as the great melt out to summer marches forward. Sunny days with stretches of mild temps, followed by brief cool downs seems to be the rule through the end of the month. Since Fri (4/18), overnight refreezes have returned, keeping the corn cycle going each day.

This week, expect warm high temps in the upper 40s and low 50s across the backcountry, with decent surface refreezes most nights. Model suggest another cool down coming in around the end of the work week through next weekend (4/24-4/27), with a chance of some showers. Highs will fall back into the upper 30s to mid 40s from 7-9000′ later in the week.

While it feels like the summer pattern has already arrived, mid-late spring storms are very common, so another shot of powder is very possible looking into early May, especially in the High Sierra and the northern volcanoes.

For now, though, it’s time to enjoy the brief season of “cheeeese-burger” chickadee calls announcing the day, long, buttery descents, creek-chilled beers, and chips and salsa at the car. Long live spring!

0400 wx. at 6350′ in Carnelian Bay: 20.1° / 18.0° dew point / 91% RH / mostly clear skies / calm winds / 13″ total storm accumulation 3/31-4/2

0515 wx. at 8650′ Mt. Rose backcountry TH: 11° / mostly clear skies / calm winds

0615 wx. at 9200′ in Mt. Rose backcountry: 17.5° / 12.1° dew point /82.9% RH / clear skies / calm winds / 18-24″ settled new snow above 3/29 crust

Backcountry obs.:

This week’s storms brought more than a refresh to the Tahoe backcountry. Since Mon (3/31) heaps of fresh, cold powder have fallen from the heavens, transforming the previously worn and scratchy snowscape into the pristine winter playground of cold smoke, fluffy soft turns, and face-fulls of powder that has been so hard to come by this season. Snow began on 3/30 and fell in earnest on 3/31 and 4/1, then tapered to light showers and cold temps for 4/2. In total, the backcountry received between 3-4’+ with highest amounts along the Sierra Crest.

Even though the storm was cold, high winds and density changes in the new snow created wind and storm slabs Mon and Tues. A tour Mon (3/31) in the Mt. Rose backcountry revealed a touchy snowpack with multiple skier triggered avalanches noted in wind-loaded zones and sheltered N facing terrain. Click here for a first hand observation.

A dawn tour today (4/3) revealed a largely settled and right-side up snowpack. N and NE aspects host cold, light powder adorning the top 8″, with slightly higher density new snow beneath. Prestorm crusts were between 18-24″ deep, imperceptible while skinning or skiing. Very little wind effect exists on the surface. E-S-NW aspects now hold a fragile, breakable suncrust around 2-3″ thick that’s surprisingly friendly to ski, but far inferior to the cold snow on due N and NE aspects where skiing is pure bliss.

High quality spring powder should hold on at the highest elevations and in the shadiest aspects through today, while solar aspects will quickly begin transitioning to hot pow and suncrust by day’s end.

Weather and forecast thoughts:

Today marks the pendulum shift from winter cold and snow to warm temps and sunshine for the foreseeable future. Enjoy the powder while you can.

Cold temps left in the wake of this week’s storms will moderate a bit today under partly sunny skies. Temps in lower elevation backcountry zones near 7000′ may flirt with freezing this afternoon, while higher areas warm into the upper 20s to low 30s. A few clouds and lingering snow showers will develop this afternoon in response to light afternoon convection across the mountains, but any accumulations will be trivial.

Tonight will be cold, clear, and dry with lows in the 10s and low 20s across the backcountry. Mild inversions may develop by dawn with areas of freezing fog and surface hoar in valleys and depressions.

Tomorrow (4/4), temps will begin warming under mostly sunny skies as a ridge of high pressure builds in to our north. Expect highs reaching the mid 30s across the backcountry, and snow beginning its transition from cold and fluffy to creamy corn, but it’ll take a few days of sun and melt freeze conditions to get there. Beware of the interregnum.

This weekend (4/5-4/6) temps will climb a few degrees higher to near normal values with highs in the low to mid 40s during the day with 20s at night under mostly clear skies. Good corn cultivation weather.

Early next week, models suggest a shortwave trough may brush by the Sierra bringing a pause to the warmup, increased winds and cloudiness, and possibly a shower or two, mainly from Tahoe north. Temps will remain near normal with highs in the 40s and lows in the upper 20s to low 30s.

As the week progresses, temps look to continue their upward march under sunny spring skies with no storms on the horizon.

Time to grab the sunscreen, Hawaiian shirts, and sweat bands. Spring’s coming.

0700 wx. at 6350′ in Carnelian Bay: 25.2 °/ 20.3° dew point / 82% RH / Mostly clear skies / trace new snow

Backcountry obs.:

The recent return to cold and unsettled weather has brought a few inches of new snow to backcountry locations, buffing out surfaces and improving skiing. New snow amounts have been very localized, but areas along the crest picked up between 3-6″ since the pattern change on Thurs (3/27), with lesser amounts in the Mt. Rose area.

Touring in the Mt. Rose backcountry on Fri (3/28), revealed a refrozen spring snowpack with 1-3″ of freshly fallen, cold snow. The new snow smoothed out crusty imperfections, creating dust on crust conditions. Pockets of soft, smooth skiing are available to the most perceptible skiers who sniff out wind deposits in lee areas.

In wind scoured areas, recent cold temps and wind have refrozen the base, into a stiff, yet brittle and edgeable surface. Refrozen crusts should soften this afternoon on southerly aspects providing buttery spring skiing.

Weather and forecast thoughts:

The Tahoe Sierra is currently locked into a cold, unsettled, spring pattern bringing periods of snow and wind, cool temps — and even breaks of brilliant sunshine — lasting well into the first week of April. By the middle of next week, new snow accumulations of 1-2+ are likely throughout the Tahoe backcountry.

The remainder of this afternoon will feature mostly sunny skies with calm to light SW winds and highs reaching the upper 20s to low 30s above 7000′. Shady aspects should still hold soft snow, while southernmost exposures should soften providing good spring skiing. Any breezes that do develop will likely keep crusts hard and frozen.

The next wave of snow moves into the area tomorrow morning (3/30) as a trough of low pressure settles in off the PacNW coast, sending a couple of cool disturbances into the Sierra Sun – Tues (3/30 – 4/1). Increasing SW winds, and a return of widespread snow showers will announce the storm’s arrival. By late afternoon tomorrow, expect on and off snow showers, possibly mixing with rain at lower elevations, and blustery conditions across the mountains. Highs tomorrow will top out in the low to mid 30s across the backcountry.

Snow showers and cold temps will continue Sunday night with an additional 3-6″ possible. Lows Sun night will bottom out in the mid-upper 20s.

Monday (3/31), a more substantial wave of instability moves in, creating heavier and more persistent snow showers throughout the day. Some snow showers may be particularly heavy in the afternoon as convective energy lends an additional kick to atmospheric instability. Snowfall rates could reach 2″ per hour in localized zones, especially over higher terrain. Temps on Mon will remain cool and below freezing above 7000′. By nightfall, another 8-14″ of new snow will likely have fallen across the backcountry.

Mon night accumulating snow showers continue across the Sierra with cold overnight low temps in the 10s and low 20s. Another 3-6″ of cold, fresh snow could continue falling during the overnight hours.

April kicks off on Tues (4/1) with another impulse keeping snow showers firing throughout the day and into the afternoon with moderate accumulations likely. Highs on Tues will remain cold, allowing new snow to continue piling up, before tapering off during the overnight Tues/Weds.

By Weds morning (4/2) the backcountry will likely have received between 1-2’+ of new snow since Sunday. A solid reset, indeed.

The second half of the coming week looks to remain cool and slightly below average, but with lesser chances of accumulating snow. The long wave trough responsible for the coming storm will linger over the Sierra and Great Basin, promoting cold temps, clouds, and daily chances of snow showers across the mountains.