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RegisterJan 15th, 2015–Jan 16th, 2015
Olympics.
New storm and wind slab mainly on lee aspects may bond poorly to the existing snow surface, especially near and above treeline. Watch for unstable slab layers and avoid steep lee slopes that may have received wind transported recent snow, especially steep NW thru NE facing slopes.
A period of moderate to briefly heavy precipitation expected overnight should build storm slab layers, especially near treeline and above.
New storm and wind slab should be likely Friday, especially near and above treeline. Strong winds overnight Thursday will have likely built unstable slab layers on NW-NE facing slopes, mainly below ridges.
Light and decreasing snow showers are expected through the day Friday with a cooling trend. This should allow for slowly improving avalanche conditions as storm layers begin to settle.
On backcountry travel safety note, watch for terrain hazards (exposed rocks, trees, streams, etc.) at lower elevations and on wind scoured aspects.
A very shallow snowpack exists around the Hurricane Ridge areas of the Olympics, consisting of well consolidated melt freeze or crust layers. Light rain and snow has begun Thursday afternoon at moderate temperatures. There was no report of any surface hoar as of Thursday morning, however, it should not be ruled out as a possible layer that may be present on some sun protected slopes, mainly below tree line where it may have formed during this past week's high pressure.
The one favorable condition with the frontal precipitation that is moving into the Olympics Thursday afternoon is the fact it should begin as rain at those elevations where the surface hoar is most likely to exist, helping to destroy it before it becomes buried.
Strong surface crusts have good surface roughness and this may help bond incoming storm snow. There are also plenty of terrain anchors near and below treeline with the current shallow overall snow depths. NWAC observer Katy Reid at Hurricane on Saturday reported areas of bare ground and a stable snowpack that only averaged 8 inches.