Lizard-Flathead

 Watch for small wind slabs and cornices in steep alpine terrain and practice good travel habits.

FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly clear skies, light northwest wind, treeline temperatures drop to -15 C.

SATURDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, moderate west wind, treeline temperature around -12 C.

SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries in the afternoon, light southwest wind, treeline temperatures around -10 C.

MONDAY: Isolated flurries with a trace amount of snow, light wind, treeline temperatures around -8 C.

No recent avalanches have been observed.

Cold clear weather is forming surface hoar and gradually softening the various hard surfaces that cap the snowpack (hard wind slabs in the alpine and a crust below 1800 m). A solid mid-pack sits above crust and facet layers near the bottom of the snowpack (150-200 cm deep). These deeper weaknesses are currently unreactive, but have periodically produced large avalanches in alpine terrain during intense storms.

• Watch for wind-loaded pockets especially around ridgecrest and in extreme terrain.
• Small avalanches can have serious consequences in extreme terrain. Carefully evaluate your line for wind slab hazard before you commit to it.