At the higher elevations strong winds have formed dense surface slabs on a variety of old snow surfaces including crusts, wind pack and faceted snow. Dangerous conditions exist in steep avalanche starting zones and terrain traps. Conservative terrain choices are essential at the mid and upper elevations. Avalanches are unlikely at the lower elevations where the recent new snow lies mostly upon bare ground.
Dense surface slabs up to two feet in depth formed by southwest through northwest winds could be human triggered, with potentially severe consequences, in steep terrain at the mid and upper elevations.
Temperatures will continue to fall overnight, and mountain temperatures will dip to near ten below zero before rising into the mid-teens during the day. Skies will be mostly clear overnight and during the day on Saturday. Ridgetop winds will back to the west and decrease to 5 to 15 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be Moderate on Saturday. The recent snowfall and strong ridgetop winds have created dense surface slabs at the mid and upper elevations. These slabs lie upon a variety of old snow surfaces, which include crusts, wind pack and faceted snow. Backcountry travelers venturing into steep, wind loaded terrain could trigger these slabs to depths of twelve to 18 inches. At the lower elevations, recent snowfall lies upon mostly bare ground and avalanches are unlikely.
