Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

At the higher elevations, cloud cover and cooler daytime temperatures should keep the threat of wet loose slides at bay. Up there, skiers and riders might be able to trigger an isolated pocket of shallow wind slab in very steep, mostly shaded terrain; wind loaded slopes should be avoided if the consequences of being caught in a small slide could result in being swept down long couloirs, over cliff bands or into terrain traps. While crusts did not experience a hard freeze overnight in the valleys, repeated melt-freeze cycles have created a lower elevation snowpack that is resistant to wet slides.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Cloud cover will continue to increase overnight as zonal flow aloft develops. An embedded Pacific weather disturbance will begin to bring scattered showers to the area in the early morning hours and continue through the evening. The light precipitation will be in the form of valley rain and mountain snow with the rain line between 7,000 and 7,500 feet. Overnight lows in the mountains will drop to near 20 before rising into the upper 20s during the day. Valley temperatures will be around freezing by the early morning hours before climbing into the low 40s in the afternoon. Southwesterly to westerly ridgetop winds will range from 5 to 15 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW on Sunday. Cloud cover and cooler temperatures should keep the threat of wet loose slides at bay. In high elevation terrain near ridgelines, skiers and riders might be able to trigger an isolated pocket of shallow wind slab on very steep, mostly shaded slopes. Up there, avoid recently wind loaded slopes if the consequences of being caught in a slide could result in being swept over cliff bands or into terrain traps. Light winds are expected with modest snowfall, and the threat from new soft slabs should be minimal. However, if stronger winds and more significant snowfall occurs, monitor the possible development of new slabs.