Avoid avalanche terrain.
Heavy snow, wind and rain are expected to produce widespread natural activity.
Large, reactive storm slabs will form overnight on Wednesday and continue to build throughout Thursday. Natural activity is expected especially on Thursday afternoon with rising freezing levels and heavy precipitation forecast.
At lower elevations precipitation may fall as rain or wet snow, making wet avalanches likely.
No new avalanches have been reported.
Widespread natural avalanche activity is expected throughout Thursday.
Heavy snow is expected above 1000 m and wet snow or rain below. This precipitation falls on up to 40 cm of low-density snow at high elevations in shaded terrain. At low elevations and on most solar aspects new snow/rain will fall on a crust.
The middle and lower portions of the snowpack are strong and well-bonded.
Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy, up to 25 cm of snow overnight with strong southerly winds. Freezing levels remain around 1000 m.
Thursday
Cloudy, with up to 50 cm possible around Sutton Pass. Snowfall rates will not taper as rapidly as previous storms, the central island may see up to 30 cm. Strong to extreme southerly winds. Freezing levels reach 1500 m.
Heavy precipitation continues overnight, up to 60 cm on the coast.
Friday
Cloudy with light snowfall continuing, moderate southwest winds. Freezing levels around 1000 m.
Saturday
Heavy snowfall resumes with cloudy skies and strong to extreme southerly winds. Freezing levels around 1200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
