Presidential Range

After two days of warm temperatures and rain at all elevations, the snowpack is now refreezing. Avalanches are unlikely. Move cautiously on steep, frozen snow surfaces with ice axes and crampons to help reduce the chances of a very dangerous long-sliding fall.

Key Points: 

• Overall, current conditions will limit avalanche danger.
• A hard, refrozen snowpack creates dangerous long-sliding fall conditions on steep terrain. 
• Bring crampons, an ice axe (or two) and a cautious mindset. 

After two days of above-freezing temperatures and roughly 0.65 inches of rain, much of our winter snowpack became thoroughly saturated. As temperatures dropped overnight, that saturated snowpack has begun to refreeze, leading to the development of a firm and potentially thick crust in many areas. This refreezing process can create a supportive surface layer and will likely serve as the sliding bed surface for future avalanches when new snow arrives. If the refrozen crust is thick enough, it may act as a barrier between the old snow and any subsequent snow load, effectively limiting the size of future avalanches. 

The mountain received around 0.5 inches of new snow overnight, accompanied by relatively light winds and dropping temperatures. This light snowfall may have settled onto and bonded with the existing crust in certain areas; however, it is unlikely to create a meaningful avalanche concern on its own. Today the possibility exists for an additional 1-3 inches of snow today from upslope snow showers. Under the very cold temperatures and strong winds forecast, any new snow will struggle to bond effectively to the slick, refrozen surface. While localized pockets of wind blown snow could accumulate in east facing, leeward terrain features, the cold and windy conditions make it difficult for more widespread wind slabs to form. In many places, new snow is likely to be scoured away or deposited in thin, discontinuous drifts that won’t propagate an avalanche. 

Overall, current conditions favor limited avalanche danger, but caution and proper travel techniques should be top-of-mind, especially on steep terrain where sliding falls are most likely.

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation on our website or in the new Avy phone app of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts.