At the upper elevation isolated pockets of wind slab are a potential hazard to people who venture into steep avalanche prone terrain. Avalanches are unlikely at the mid elevations where the recent new snow mostly lies on upon previously bare ground and is less than a foot deep. Very little snow exists at the lower elevations.
At the upper elevation northwest winds have formed pockets of wind slab up to 18 inches in depth. These surface slabs lie upon a weak layer of buried surface hoar that grew on a firm October melt-freeze crust. These shallow slabs could be human triggered in steep avalanche starting zones.
A moist zonal flow is expected to bring three to five inches of new snow to the higher elevations overnight and another three to five inches to the higher terrain on Wednesday. Temperatures in the mountains will drop back into the teens tonight and rise into the 20s on Wednesday. Winds will be west-southwest at 15 with gusts to 25 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW. At the upper elevations humans could trigger pockets of wind slab up to 18 inches in depth in steep avalanche starting zones. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 8,500 feet.
