Up to eight inches of new snow with up to an inch of water has accumulated in the mountains since yesterday morning. This precipitation has been accompanied by strong westerly winds. Temperatures have increased overnight and created an upside down snow profile. Pockets of new dense wind slab formed by strong westerly winds lie upon slick old snow surfaces. At the higher elevations additional weight has added on to older dense slabs that lie upon buried weak layers of faceted snow. These new wind slabs and older persistent slabs could be human triggered on steep avalanche prone slopes. Warm temperatures and a chance for rain will create the potential for shallow wet loose slides on steep banks and road cuts at the lower elevations.
Buried layers of faceted snow persist in the snowpack. Skiers and riders could trigger slabs failing on these weak layers to depths of one to three feet. In the past six weeks, activity on these layers has been observed on north through east to south facing slopes.
Pockets of new dense wind slabs up to 16 inches in depth could be human triggered isn steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones and cliff areas.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service is in effect until 5 PM Monday evening. Periods of moderate to heavy snowfall are likely as moisture continues to stream into the region from the northwest. This snowfall will be accompanied by strong westerly winds with average speeds of 30 to 40 and gusts to 50 miles per hour. Temperatures will be in the upper 20s and 30s in the mountains. Rain may mix with snow in the valleys during the afternoon hours. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE and could increase to CONSIDERABLE if high intensity snowfall occurs for a significant duration. New winds slabs are likely to be sensitive to human triggers as they gain depth and volume and could release naturally if snowfall forecast verify.
