West Slopes Central

Thursday's weather will be cloudier and cooler than any day we've seen in a while. Challenging traveling on firm snow will be a consideration, so bring appropriate traction equipment. A much anticipated storm will bring a dramatic increase in avalanche danger for Friday and the weekend. 

After a solid overnight freeze, avalanches will be difficult to trigger on Thursday.  That said, it's still a good idea to minimize your exposure to overhead slopes with glide cracks or cornice-like chunks of snow that could fall off rocks or cliffs.

More pertinent, will be firm snow surfaces and challenging travel conditions on a variety of low elevation and sun-exposed slopes. You can expect firm crusts on southeast through southwest aspects. Rough, frozen surfaces can be found in the trees, especially below 4,500ft. Be prepared with ski crampons, crampons, and other traction equipment.

Many people traveled to far-flung areas in neighboring zones and even in the West Central zone (observation) over the weekend. The big story is a storm starting Thursday night. This will bring the most significant change to avalanche (and travel) conditions that we've seen in nearly 3 weeks. We have high confidence that this snow will bury weak layers. What happens once the snow is on the ground is to be determined.

For now, we can track the locations of snow surfaces that could be problematic: A thick layer of near surface facets is widespread on many shaded and northerly slopes. This included shaded east and west aspects, and likely encompases all elevations that hold snow. Surface hoar exists in pockets in shaded meadows, drainages, and deep valleys. Other surfaces include melt forms and crusts on sunny slopes, and textured wind- affected snow at upper elevations. 

We need your help to build a robust avalanche forecast. Submit an observation to let us know what you see.