East Slopes North

Expect another warm and sunny day in the mountains with cool temperatures in the morning and in valley bottoms. Watch for mushy, wet snow on steep south-facing slopes with daytime warming. Keep an eye on hazards such as cornices, and glide cracks as you travel.

It has been about a week since the last snowfall (1/20), and the snowpack has settled. If you try you can probably find a wide range of conditions;  firm and potentially slick crusts,  sun softened snow on steep southerly aspects, surface hoar on shaded aspects, and pockets of wind-stiffened snow at higher elevations. In sheltered and shaded areas, you'll find approximately 6 inches of settled snow from last weeks storm above the most recent crust near and west of Washington Pass. Observers noted this snow becoming weaker and faceted on Wednesday. Take note of what you find on and near the surface, as today's soft snow may become a lasting weak layer after the next storm. In higher, exposed places the snow has likely been transported by wind, and stiffened. Less snowfall accumulated further east in the range last week.

Warm daytime temperatures may soften snow surfaces, and may also create isolated areas where you could trigger wet loose avalanches on very steep sunny slopes. Monitor the surface crust as the day progresses. If you begin to sink deeply into wet snow, then move off of steeper consequential slopes. Observers have reported cracking cornices and open glide cracks.  Continue to limit your time below these overhead hazards as this sunny and seasonally mild stretch of weather continues. At lower elevations, you'll encounter steep temperature inversions and areas of valley fog/stratus that have been a hallmark of this pattern.  Mazama has dipped into the low teens/upper single digits every night since Friday night.