The clear skies over the Sierra are expected to change by the end of the week and bring snow.

According to the National Weather Service in Reno, multiple storms are forecast to move across the region this weekend and into next week. The first storm system is expected to move into the northern and central Sierra by Friday evening and will continue through Saturday morning.

Forecasters predict that a second storm will push in by Saturday night into Sunday morning. Significant snowfall is possible with the storms in the higher elevations with several inches possible at lake level. Strong winds are forecast to accompany the systems causing low visibility from blowing snow.

Meanwhile, at the National Weather Service is now featuring a Sierra Backcountry Forecast, an experimental Web-based forecast at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/rev/ in support of the Sierra Avalanche Center and the Central Sierra Avalanche Center.

The elements in the Tahoe area and Mono County backcounty forecasts include temperatures, winds, and sky/weather, all of which affect the stability of the snowpack, changes in the snowpack structure, and ultimately avalanche potential.