There is a CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger rating in the upper elevation steep terrain.
Massive fresh drifts and slabs of snow have formed on many slopes especially in the upper elevations. They are likely to avalanche if provoked by humans.
The avalanche danger is much lower in areas where the wind has not drifted snow.
My group encountered some HUGE drifts on Saturday. The wind was actively drifting snow for most of the day. While we did not see any cracking within the new snow there is NO WAY I would even consider trusting any large steep slope with a recently formed wind drift or wind slab on it. You'll want to stay clear of the steeper wind loaded slopes again today. Things will stabilize, it just takes a few days.
Drifting snow has closed State Road 31 from the top of Fairview Canyon (interstection of SR264) through Huntington Canyon to Crandall Canyon.
There was a man injured when a large chunk of snow fell from a roof of a cabin in Fairview Lakes on Saturday. He was evacuated by helicopter with significant injuries. The recent strong wind and drifting snow no doubt played a role.
Current Conditions: WOW!! It was again VERY deep out there on Saturday. The wind continued to blow longer than I anticipated and we had moderate to strong speeds for most of the day. It has now finally slowed down. Temperatures only got into the low teens on Saturday and dropped to around 0˚F overnight.
Mountain Weather: It's going to be another cloudy day with the chance for snow mid day. Temperatures again won't get much warmer than the low to mid teens. The wind starts out light from the southwest but increases in speed as today's minor storm moves through. Looking ahead, the next couple of days look partly cloudy with a gradual warming trend. Another series of storms starts Wednesday night.
This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
