Sunshine and warming temperatures will increase the hazard as the day progresses. At the higher elevations pockets of wind slab up to two feet in depth will become increasingly sensitive to human triggers as the day warms. Shallow, wet loose slides are likely on steep sunlit slopes during the heat of the day. The warming temperatures will also increase the potential for snowmobilers to trigger dangerous hard slab avalanches in isolated areas.
Deep hard slabs could be triggered by large loads in isolated areas where weak faceted snow persist near the base of the snowpack. These dangerous slabs could have depths to five feet and the potential for humans to trigger one of these killer slides will increase as the day warms. Cornices are huge and could fail. Cornice failures could trigger these deep slabs.
Wet surface slabs up to two feet in depth are likely to occur on steep slopes after significant warming has occurred. These slabs were formed by northwest winds and will be dry at the higher elevations in the early morning hours and become damp during the course of the day. These slabs could be human triggered in the morning and could release naturally during the warmest portion of the day.
Abundant sunshine and warming temperatures are likely to cause wet loose slides on very steep slopes on a variety of aspects and elevations. At the upper elevations these loose snow slides could trigger wet slab avalanches.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Sunshine and above normal temperatures are forecast for the next two days. On Tuesday skies will be clear. Temperatures will be in the low 20s at daybreak and will rise into the 40s at 10,500 feet and into the mid 50s in the valleys. Winds will be light from the west. The sunshine and warm temperatures will increase the hazard during the day. At the higher elevations the hazard will increase to CONSIDERABLE. Shallow point slides involving the recent new snow are likely on very steep slopes. Wet slabs up to two feet in depth could be human triggered or release naturally. Cornices are huge. Cornice failures are possible and could trigger deep slab avalanches.
