Avalanche conditions are still dangerous at the mid and upper elevations. Large persistent slab avalanches can be triggered by humans on avalanche prone slopes. These slides could occur even after a slope has been tracked and some potential remains for failure to occur remotely, as a group approaches terrain from above or below a slope. To determine slope stability, it is crucial to understand if slopes are underlain by weak basal layers that exist near the base of the snowpack. This can be done by digging to the ground. Be careful to not trust improving snow test scores in terrain where the weak snow is present. Avalanches are not likely at the lower elevations.
Dangerous slab avalanches 2 to 4 feet in depth can be triggered at the mid and upper elevations by the weight of a single person. These slabs lie over weak basal facets that persist on west to north to east facing slopes from 8000-9000 feet and all aspects at higher elevations.
Some clearing will occur overnight, but high-level moisture may keep some cloud cover over the region on Saturday. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid-teens before rising to near 30 in the afternoon. Ridgetop winds will back to the south at 15 to 30 miles per hour.Avalanche conditions are still dangerous, and the general avalanche hazard is expected to remain Considerable above 8,000 feet on Saturday. Backcountry travelers are likely to trigger large persistent slab avalanches in steep terrain that had an existing snowpack before Thanksgiving. Involvement in one of these slides could easily have fatal results, and as these weak layers slowly gain strength, it is easier to get farther out onto a slope before failure occurs. Terrain with previous tracks is also suspect; preceding riders may have simply missed hitting a trigger point. This is a good time to dig pits to the ground in order to find out if a slope is underlain by the weak layers of concern. However, do not be tempted to use high stability tests scores as an excuse to ski a slope if these weak layers are present. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Low below 8,000 feet, and avalanche activity is unlikely there.
