Above 7500 feet, deep persistent weaknesses lie in the snowpack. Large to very large avalanches were occurring naturally on this layer earlier in the week. The danger rating has lowered to Moderate because these slides are not expected to occur naturally, however it is important to understand that they could still fail to the weight of a single person is some areas. Determining which slopes are more likely to fail is very difficult and limiting exposure to low angle terrain is recommended for safe backcountry travel. A chance for shallow wind slabs to be triggered also exists at the high elevations. Avalanches below 7500 feet are not expected today.
At the mid and upper elevations dangerous persistent deep slabs up to five feet in depth could be human triggered on a variety of aspects. These hard to predict slabs could release to the weight of a single person, propagate long distances, and are likely to carry severe consequences.
Dense wind slabs lie at high elevations in areas prone to wind loading that could be triggered today with depths up to two feet. These slabs have been formed by strong southwest to west winds that are forecast to become northwesterly today. Once initiated, movement of these slabs could cause failure in the deep persistent weak layers.
Light, scattered snow showers could linger overnight and into Saturday as the cold front moves across the region. By midday, snowfall should cease and cloud cover will be on the decrease. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the single digits before rising into the mid-teens during the day. Northwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 10 to 20 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE above 7,500 feet on Saturday. Skiers and riders might be able to trigger a pocket of slab involving the upper portion of the snowpack. While the likelihood of triggering dangerous persistent deep slab avalanches continues to slowly decrease, the consequences remain severe. With these conditions in mind, avoid bold terrain choices, and don’t let blue skies impair your judgment. The snowpack is mostly stable below 7,500 feet.
