Low hazard doesn't mean no hazard! Watch out for lingering wind slabs in the alpine formed during Wednesday's storm. Tricky travel conditions exist at all elevations.
Wind slabs may have formed in the alpine during Wednesday's storm. Watch out for areas of hard wind slab as you transition into the alpine.
Thursday overnight: A building ridge of high pressure will bring mainly clear skies. Freezing levels will reach valley bottom, winds easing into the moderate range at ridgetop from the west.
Friday: Friday morning, a high-pressure system over the Rockies will bring clear skies and cold temperatures, and light easterly ridgetop winds. In the afternoon, high cloud and strong southwest winds redevelop as another low-pressure system approaches from the pacific. Light flurries can be expected late afternoon.
Saturday: 5-15cm of new snow can be expected overnight and into Saturday morning. There is the potential for higher snowfall accumulation in the eastern rages with upslope enhancement. Moderate to strong southwest winds are increasing and shifting northwest late in the day.
Sunday: High pressure will reestablish. Mainly clear skies, light to moderate westerly ridgetop winds, and freezing levels at the valley bottom.
Reports from the region remain limited. If you go out in the mountains, please share your observations and/or photos on the Mountain Information Network! ?
Cold temperatures will start to form a capping rain crust on the snow surface as a result of heavy rain soaking the upper snowpack. In the high alpine (above 2400m) up to 50 cm of moist new snow accumulation is possible from Wednesday's storm.
Previously, 2 early season crusts could be found in the snowpack below 2300m. It is likely that rain has mainly eliminated these crusts, and amalgamated the snowpack into uniform melt forms below 2300m.
Snowpack depths range from 10-80cm at treeline elevations. Higher elevations may hold a deeper snowpack, but will also be more heavily impacted by recent winds. Rain has washed away the snowpack below 1900m.
