Air temperatures will rise quickly and increase the wet snow avalanche hazard. The general avalanche hazard will be low at all elevations during the early morning hours and may quickly increase to moderate during the later morning hours. Significant wet snow avalanches hazards are likely in steep terrain during the afternoon hours. Once snow surface softening has occurred wet slides will be possible on steep slopes. Monitor conditions and have a plan to exit avalanche terrain via a safe route before the wet snow avalanche hazard becomes dangerous. Cornice failures are possible and may trigger wet loose or wet slab avalanches if they fall onto steep slopes.
The wet snow avalanche hazard will increase on steep snow covered slopes as the day warms. At the lower elevations these wet slides could dig down into older snow layers. At the mid elevations loose wet slides are likely to involve the most recent new snow. At the upper elevations wet loose and wet slab avalanches are possible on very steep slopes. Those wet slab avalanches could be several feet deep.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Conditions will be dry with light winds. Under clear skies overnight lows will fall into the 20's. Daytime highs will be warmer than today, rising into the 40’s in the mountains and well into the 50’s in the valleys. Abundant sunshine and warmer temperatures will increase the wet snow avalanche hazard. The hazard at all elevations is expected to be low in the early morning hours and will increase to moderate after snow surfaces soften. Wet loose avalanches will become possible on steep sunlit aspects at all elevations. At the lower elevations these wet slides could step down to the ground. At the mid and upper elevations these wet slides are likely to only involve the most recent new snow. Wet slab avalanches are also possible on a variety of aspects at the upper elevations. These conditions could cause cornices to fail. These cornice failures could trigger wet loose and wet slab slides. Monitor conditions for increasing wet snow hazards and get off of and out from under steep slopes when that hazard begins to increase.
