The snow that has fallen over the last week has been blown around by northeast and northwest winds and lies upon hard old snow surfaces. This new snow is mostly stable however isolated pockets of wind slab exist on very steep slopes and pose a hazard to skiers or riders who venture into cliff areas, steep couloirs or other types of extreme terrain. The sun is strong and can rapidly increase the hazard if skies clear.
Pockets of wind slab up to 18 inches in depth exist at the upper elevations. These slabs and shallow loose snow sluffs will become increasingly sensitive to human triggers as the day progresses and temperatures warm.
Another quick moving, weak system will pass over the region during the early morning hours. Snow showers associated with this system could bring an inch or two of new snow and may linger through the morning hours. Skies are expected to mostly to partly cloudy in the afternoon. Temperatures will drop into the 20s overnight and rise into the 30s in the mountains and into the 40s in the valleys. Winds will be light at around 10 miles per hour and back from the northwest to the southwest.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW in the morning and may increase to MODERATE at the higher elevations in the afternoon if significant warming occurs. Pockets of surface slab up to 18 inches in depth and shallow loose snow sluffs will become increasingly sensitive to human triggers as the day warms and will be a threat to people who venture onto very steep slopes, into cliff areas, steep chutes, couloirs and other extreme terrain features.
