Above 7,500 feet, backcountry travelers could easily trigger newly developed wind slabs in steep, wind-loaded avalanche terrain. These slabs, with depths of one to two feet, formed on sun crusts and surface hoar.
Weak, faceted snow persists at the base of the snowpack in shaded terrain at the upper elevations. Skiers and riders could trigger persistent slabs to depths of two to three feet. These slabs could also step down from the failure of new wind slabs.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A cold front will move through the region this evening bringing another burst of moisture before snowfall intensity decreases to scattered showers. An additional two to four inches of new snow could accumulate by Sunday morning with continued light snowfall through the day. Overnight lows in the mountains will drop to near 10 degrees before rising into the mid-teens in the afternoon. Westerly ridgetop winds will range from 20 to 30 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Sunday. Backcountry travelers venturing into steep, wind-loaded avalanche terrain could trigger newly developed wind slabs 10 to 15 inches deep. Weak, faceted snow exists near the base of the snowpack on shaded aspects at the higher elevations. With Saturday's additional load, skiers and riders might be able to cause failure of this weak layer and release slabs with depths up to 30 inches.
