Very warm temperatures and intense sunshine will once again increase the wet slide avalanche hazard as the day warms. With a slightly warmer start and less wind, snow surfaces are likely to soften earlier today. Steep east facing slopes will soften first and will then be followed by south, west and north facing aspects. Wet loose and small wet slab avalanches are possible on a variety of aspects in very steep terrain. Cornices may become unstable and could fail and trigger large slab avalanches. Monitor conditions and avoid steep avalanche prone terrain after significant warming occurs.
Wet loose slides are possible in very steep terrain on a variety of aspects after snow surfaces soften. These slides could carry people down steep slopes and may gouge down to deeper layers in areas where the snowpack is isothermal.
Large overhanging cornices may become unstable as the day warms. Cornice releases can be unpredictable and can break further back than anticipated. Cornice failures could trigger large wet slab avalanches on steep slopes. Avoid cornices and the slopes beneath them.
Following a morning with increasing clouds, a system will bring moisture from the south to the area on Saturday afternoon. Temperatures are to stay on the warm side, and the precipitation should fall as rain to at least 9000 feet. The moisture will be showery in nature, and thunderstorms are possible. Winds from the southwest are to increase to fifteen to twenty mile per hour averages.The avalanche hazard will be Moderate on Saturday. In higher terrain where the snow surface freezes overnight, the hazard will be Low in the early morning before quickly returning to Moderate as those surfaces weaken. Warm overnight temperatures in the mountains in the early spring demand respect. This is a period when large cornices could fail or when small wet slides in long steep avalanche paths can entrain large volumes of snow as they descend from above.
