Human triggered slab avalanches are possible on a variety of aspects at all elevations. Deep hard slab avalanches continue to be a potential hazard in isoalted areas at the upper elevations. Cooler temperatures have decreased the potential but not fully eliminated the wet slide hazard. At the lower elevations thin crusts have formed upon wet snow and some instability may persist in isolated areas in very steep terrain. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully and identify areas of concern.
New soft slabs formed by last nights westerly winds and denser hard slabs formed by yesterdays very strong southwest winds could be human triggered today in steep avalanche starting zones, couloirs and cliff areas. These slabs are generally expected to be one to two feet deep but could be up to three feet deep in some areas.
The chance remains for backcountry travelers to trigger very large deep slab avalanches on northerly aspects above 9,000 feet. If triggered, these dangerous hard slabs could involve the full depth of the snowpack. It may require larger triggers such as snow machines or groups of people to cause this failure.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A cold front will move through the area early this evening. This front is expected to bring another three to six inches of new snow to the mountains and one to three inches of snow to the valleys. Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-teens at 10,500 feet by tomorrow morning and into the lower 20s in the valleys by daybreak. Daytime highs will remain in the 20s in the mountains and rise to near 30 degrees in the valleys. Winds will slowly decrease overnight and are expected to be westerly at 25 with gusts to 40 miles per hour in the morning and continue to slowly decrease during the day.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be CONSIDERABLE to MODERATE depending on elevation and location. New soft slabs and older, dense slabs could be human triggered in steep avalanche starting zones. These slabs are generally expected to be one to two feet deep but could be up to four feet deep in some areas. Cooler temperatures are expected to decrease the potential for wet slide activity. The sensitivity of surface slabs to human triggers and the potential for wet slides to be a hazard will be dependent upon the amount of cooling that occurs and the amount of lighter density new snow that falls overnight.
