Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to the number of field observations

Warm air from the Pacific will push in, bringing milder temperatures but not much precipitation in the short term.Friday: Light snow.  Remaining cool. Winds increasing to moderate SW. Saturday: Light snow. Light to moderate SW winds. Temperatures increasing. An inversion (warmer temperatures at ridge top than in the valleys) may form.Sunday: Light snow. Light winds. Temperatures may start to rise at all elevations.

There was a widespread cycle of large (up to size 3) naturally and remotely-triggered avalanches last Friday/Saturday. Since then, whumpfs have reminded travelers of the lurking beast. While avalanche activity has diminished, the consequences of triggering a deep layer would be severe.

Surface layers consist of variable wind slabs or dry snow. Below this you may find a hard rain crust. In the Golden area this crust exists up to around 1600m, whereas in the south it is up to 2000m or higher. In total, last week's storm produced slabs up to 1m thick in the north of the region and around 60cm thick in the south. This slab sits on the mid-November weak layer (surface hoar, facets, and/or a crust). Below this you will likely find a 15-20cm thick layer of sugary facets, which is sitting on a solid rain crust from early November. The reactivity of these layers may be slowly diminishing, but they still warrant cautious consideration. Snowpack tests are getting hard pops and drops results, indicating the potential for large propagation and large avalanches.