Reported Friday, January 7, 2011 at 5:55 AM

	Weather Forecast Today: Sunny with light Northwest winds gusting to 20 mph over the mountains and highs near 30 Tonight: Partly cloudy with calm winds and lows near 0 Tomorrow: Increasing clouds with a chance for snow. Winds from the Northwest 5-15 mph and highs near 30 Weather Outlook A closed low pressure system over Southern California will continue to drop to the South, leaving us under the influence of a strong Northwest flow. Today we will see continued sunshine and warmer temperatures. As the low moves Eastward this weekend, we could begin to see more clouds and a chance for some snowfall on Sunday.

MODERATE (Level 2) on all aspects and elevations

LIKELIHOOD OF TRIGGERING

AVALANCHE SIZE

Trend

Recently formed wind slabs near and above treeline will be the main concern today. Lee slopes on North through Southeast areas will be the most suspect, but any area exposed to the wind could have a slab waiting to be released.

Clear and calm conditions continue to allow the snowpack to settle and gain strength. Today's warmer temperatures will allow new wind slabs to soften a bit and bond with the snow below. We currently have a a lot of variability in the upper snowpack with many potential problems. New wind slabs on the surface will be the most likely to be triggered today at higher elevations, while a buried surface hoar layer about 2' below the surface could be triggered in protected areas below treeline. Don't forget that deep down in the snow we have weak snow trying to support a dense slab that rests on top.