Stable morning crusts will soften and create unstable conditions on steep slopes. Avalanche paths and steep terrain with an isothermal snowpack should be avoided once the surface is wet and does not support a person's weight.
Wet loose slides will be possible on very steep slopes after crusts break down. Once started, small sloughs could dig out deeper snow. Wet snow on the surface and breaking through into loose snow are indications of dangerous conditions and avalanche terrain should be avoided.
Moisture will move into the region overnight with showers developing after midnight. Snow is expected to begin before dawn above an elevation of 9,500 feet and drop to an elevation of 7,000 feet by evening. This snowfall is forecast to be heaviest during the morning hours. A total of six inches of new snow accumulation is possible at the highest elevations by evening. Winds will be southwest to west at 15 to 25 with gusts increasing to 40 miles per hour by evening along the higher ridge crest. Temperatures will be in the upper 20s and 30s in the mountains and in the 30s and 40s in the valleys. Cooler temperatures will decrease the potential for wet snow avalanches however some hazard will persist on very steep slopes where loose unconsolidated snow remains wet. At the upper elevations strong winds will begin to create isolated pockets of new soft slab. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW.
