Low avalanche danger remains on all aspects and elevations. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features. Early season snowpack conditions exist with the potential to collide with many obstacles. The avalanche danger will rise as the storm system arrives late tonight and throughout Thursday.
Avalanches will remain unlikely today and normal caution is advised. Expect a combination of wet surface snow with open, shaded aspects having a breakable/supportable surface crust. Strong to gale force SW winds will keep the snow surface firm in exposed areas and will impede travel as the day progresses. Avalanche danger will increase late today/tonight as this strong storm impacts our forecast area.
Snow surface conditions yesterday ranged from soft wet surface snow to a variety of supportable and breakable surface crusts.
Most recent observations throughout the forecast area have pointed to a strengthening snowpack that it is in good shape to handle additional load. Observations from Tamarack Peak (Mt. Rose area) have shown that the weak basal facets are still present in many locations. These facets are reactive to snowpack tests showing that propagation is still a possibility on this layer. In most areas that we have observed, these facets are held in place with terrain features and many anchors (rocks, bushes, logs, etc.) Uncertainty exists if there is terrain that this weak layer can span which would make the possibility for larger avalanches with additional storm load. Most likely areas of concern are NW, N, NE aspects, near treeline terrain above 9000'.
