Good morning, this is Sue Burak from the Inyo National Forest Eastern
   Sierra Avalanche Center. Join us tonight at the June Lake Community
   Center at 6 PM for an evening of avalanche talks and presentations.
   Eric Diem will provide details of the inbounds avalanche action earlier
   this week.

   MOUNTAIN WEATHER

   The mountains above 9000 ft in Mono County could get 2 feet of new snow
   by Tuesday morning. Snow levels will be quite high due to the influence
   of subtropical plume of moisture. The eastern slopes of the Sierra from
   Pine Creek south to Mt. Whitney could see damaging high winds on
   Monday.

   For the 8,000 to 9,000 ft elevations today, highs will be in the low
   40s. Windy and partly cloudy to cloudy skies have returned to our area.
   Expect southwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35mph in the
   afternoon. Higher elevations will be cooler with highs today in the low
   30s. Winds will be stronger with southwest winds 15 to 25 mph gusting
   to 40 mph. By Sunday night, it will be windy with southwest wind gusts
   to 70 mph over the ridgetops.

   SNOWPACK AND AVALANCHE DISCUSSION

   Recent natural avalanche activity occurring today and yesterday north
   and south of Mammoth along with a report of a skier triggered slide in
   the Bishop Creek drainage, are red flags telling me the snowpack is
   unstable in localized areas. The trick is to figure out where the
   instability is in the area you are skiing or riding so use the terrain
   to your advantage. There are two weak layers in the pack, there has
   been control work that released large avalanches earlier this week and
   there has been recent natural activity. Sensible people should be
   suspicious of wind loaded slopes in steep alpine terrain and in steep
   areas where the snowpack is shallow.

   The snow is unpredictable right now. The message today is do nothing in
   haste. When you look at snow on a slope, you cannot see the constant
   gliding, creeping and settling going on within the snowpack. Deciding
   whether a slope is safe to ski is an ongoing process, not a single
   event that happens when you point your skis or board down the slope.

   Carefully select your route. Have only one person on a steep slope at a
   time, and have an escape plan. With a mid-winter pack, there are always
   a few isolated places where a larger or deeper slide could be
   triggered. It is better to make a mistake on the safe side. Avoid
   slopes that are steeper than 35 degrees. The snow is under tension when
   the slope gets steeper over a convex roll. If a portion of a slope
   looks wind loaded or has a chalky appearance or a drum like sound, find
   another line to ski. Just because there is an uptrack or tracks does
   not mean the slope cannot slide.

   BOTTOM LINE

   For today, the avalanche danger rating is estimated to be MODERATE
   above treeline but there are localized pockets of CONSIDERABLE danger
   in steep north to east facing terrain. Uncertainty is high and requires
   conservative decision making. Natural avalanches are possible and a
   person could trigger an avalanche especially along rocky outcrops and
   along the sides of cross loaded gullies. At the middle elevations in
   north to east facing trees, the avalanche danger is MODERATE- this
   means there are locally unsafe slopes where it is possible to trigger
   an avalanche.

   With the Sunday/Monday storm bringing possible heavy rain to slopes
   below 8,500 ft., the avalanche danger will increase. The most dangerous
   time when it rains is the first few hours of rain. It is unlikely that
   rainfall will move all the way through 5-10 ft of snow, but special
   caution will be necessary in areas where the snowpack is shallow,
   especially when snowlines are above 7,500 ft.

   Please note that the avalanche danger rating in this advisory expires
   in 24 hours. Backcountry travelers should be aware that elevation and
   geographic distinctions are approximate and that a transition zone
   exists between upper and lower elevations.

   Avalanches do not happen by accident and most human involvement is a
   matter of choice not chance. Most avalanche accidents are caused by
   slab avalanches that are triggered by the victim of member of the
   victim's party. Even small slides can be dangerous. Always practice
   route finding skills and carry avalanche rescue gear. Remember that
   avalanche danger ratings are only general guidelines. Distinctions
   between geographic areas, elevations, slope aspects and slope angles
   should be made.