The structure of the snow profile is poor in areas that had a shallow faceted snowpack before the last storm cycle. In these areas unstable slabs lie upon a persistent weak layer and could be human triggered on steep wind loaded slopes that did not slide during the last storm cycle.
Some potential remains for humans to trigger slab avalanches up to four feet in depth in areas where dense surface slabs lie upon a base of weak faceted snow. These slabs are likely to be more sensitive to larger triggers like snow mobiles.
The high pressure ridge that has dominated our weather during the past two weeks will collapse as an unstable zonal flow brings a potent storm with a pineapple connection and a robust jet to the region. Partial clearing will occur tonight and Tuesday with cold air settling over the region under a short lived ridge. On Tuesday skies will be clear in the morning. High thin clouds will move in aloft as the leading edge of the storm system approaches from the west. Temperatures in the morning will be in the single digits below zero to near zero and will rise into the teens to low 20s during the day. Winds will be north to west at 15 to 20 miles per hour. Snowfall is expected to develop late in the evening. On Tuesday the general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE above an elevation of 7,500 feet and LOW below that elevation. Unstable slabs two to four feet in depth lie upon a persistent layer of weak faceted snow and could be human triggered on steep wind loaded slopes that did not slide during the last storm cycle. These slabs can produce large volumes of debris and are especially dangerous above terrain traps. Evaluate the snow and terrain carefully and avoid areas of concern.
