Avalanche Forecast

Sunday should be a fair spring weather day with some building cumulus in the afternoon. Freezing levels should push to near 6000 feet after a cool start. 

While generally safe avalanche conditions are expected Sunday, you can still trigger a small loose wet avalanche on steep sunny slopes or at lower elevations as the day warms. Look for signs of wet surface snow developing as you travel.  New rollerballs, fresh fan shaped avalanche debris, and wet surface snow deeper than your ankle all indicate the potential for loose wet avalanches has developed on similar steep slopes. Avoid slopes with terrain traps where even a small loose wet avalanche could have unintended consequences. 

An inch or two of new snow with moderate south winds Friday night transitioned to partly to mostly cloudy skies with cool temperatures in the Hurricane Ridge area Saturday. No new avalanches were reported. 

NWAC pro-observer Matt Schonwald visited the Hurricane Ridge area Friday. Initial warmth and sunshine Friday gave way to overcast high clouds as the day progressed. Melt-freeze crusts softened by late morning in the Hurricane Ridge area making for pleasant travel conditions. New snowfall received early last week has pushed the total snow depth in the near and above treeline bands to a seasonal maximum. Cornices were generally small in the Hurricane Ridge area. Only small loose wet avalanches were observed on steep sunny slopes Friday.  While several layers can be found within the snowpack, there are no significant layers of concern at this time.