Deep instabilities continue to be a concern on steep avalanche prone slopes at the mid and upper elevations. Snowmobiles and skiers could still trigger dangerous hard slab avalanches. Wind slabs that formed during the last storm cycle may still be able to be triggered by the weight of a person in very steep avalanche starting zones and cliff areas. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations.
Snow that fell over the weekend increased the load on deeply buried layers of faceted snow. Large to very large deep slab avalanches could be triggered by skiers and riders with depths to five feet on those persistent weak layers. The consequences of triggering one of these slabs are likely to be severe.
Soft surface slabs formed by southwest winds could be triggered by skiers and riders who venture into steep avalanche starting zones and cliff areas. These slabs could be up to two feet in depth.
Bitterly cold temperatures with some clouds and snow flurries will continue. Overnight lows will be in the teens and single digits below zero. Daytime highs will be in the single digits above zero. Winds will be from the southwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour with some higher gusts.Weak layers that formed in December and January are still a problem on steep avalanche prone slopes above an elevation of 7,500 feet. Deep slab avalanches two to five feet in depth could still be triggered by skiers or riders on these persistent weak layers. The consequences of triggering a dangerous hard slab avalanche remain severe. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 7,500 feet where the general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW.
