Good morning, this is Sue Burak from the Inyo National Forest Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center with the avalanche advisory for Saturday, March 7. The Avalanche Danger Scale is being revised for next winter. Please help ensure this product is effective by completing a short survey found at the following link. Please copy and paste http://surveys.globalepanel.com/wix/p319164581.aspx into your browser. MOUNTAIN WEATHER Northwest flow aloft keeps temperatures unseasonably cool at all elevations for the next few days. High temperatures at the 10,000 ft elevation will be in the low to mid 20s today with night time lows in the teens. Lower elevations will be in low to mid 30s with lows around 24F. North winds will plague the higher elevations today wit gusts in the 45 to 50 mph range. Tomorrow will be very windy with strong winds over the crest in the 80 mph range. There is a chance of light snow Sunday and Monday. SNOWPACK AND AVALANCHE DISCUSSION Highly variable conditions exist throughout the advisory area, and skiers and riders were on many slopes taking advantage of the first clear dry weather in about a week. While some exposed lines were skied, the snowpack is still capable of producing an avalanche. Look for a buried wet snow lens from Mondays storm that now has weak faceted snow above the lens. There are also many windloaded slopes that avalanched during the storm that have a shallow wind slab that could be sitting on the wet snow/rain lens. Most north and east facing slopes in the drainages south of Mammoth have a shallow weak snowpack. While Mammoth and June mountains picked up about 3.5 ft of new snow, Rock Creek picked up about a foot of new snow and South Lake picked up about 1.5 ft. The drainage basins south of Mammoth is where the most recent avalanche cycle occurred right as the storm cleared. The most recent avalanches occurred in very steep north facing terrain beneath rock ridges or ribs that lead to open bowls near ridgetops. The big slides occurred far below ridgetop bowls and gullies that usually avalanche. Because the snow is shallow and weak snow exists above the rain layer and above the ground, it is likely the weak snow failed near the bottom of the snowpack. Fist hard weak snow still falls out of snowpits in the Bishop Creek and Rock Creek drainages. This snow is unpredictable and will remain with us until the spring. BOTTOM LINE Wind loaded east to north facing slopes and cross loaded steep terrain steeper than 35 degrees are estimated to have a MODERATE danger. Human triggered avalanches are possible and locally unstable conditions exist. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully. For the Convict, Rock Creek and Bishop Creek areas, the avalanche danger rating is MODERATE on all north to east facing terrain steeper than 35 degrees. Human triggered avalanches are possible. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully. 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.