Conditions remain dangerous. Snowmobilers and skiers continue to trigger large to very large slab avalanches on a daily basis. A snowmobiler was caught in a very large slide on Monday and a skier triggerd a slide that broke trees and moved deadfall yesterday. The persistent weak layer that has been responsible for widespread avalanche activity is well preserved and will continue to produce large avalanches that can kill or seriously injure backcountry users. Sunshine and warming temperatures will be increasing the the likelihood for these dangerous slides to release. Conservative terrain choices remain essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain.
Dense slabs up to five feet in depth lie upon a persistent weak layer of faceted snow. These slabs could be triggered on a variety of aspects by the weight of a single person or release after they have been crossed by multiple skiers or riders. At the lower elevations (below 7,500 feet) small pockets of dense slab up to two feet in depth could be human triggered on steep avalanche prone slopes.
Wind slabs up to 30 inches in depth could be human triggered in steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones and on convex roll overs. Once triggered these slabs could step down and create a very large deep persistent slab avalanche.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )A few clouds may pass overhead this evening. Temperatures will remain inverted with fog development likely in the valleys during the morning hours. On Wednesday skies will be mostly sunny. Temperatures will rise into the upper 20s and 30s. Winds will be light at 5 to 15 miles per hour from the southwest to northwest.Conditions continue to be dangerous. Large slab avalanches can easily be triggered by the weight of a person on a variety of aspects. These killer slabs can also be triggered by a person after a slope has been crossed multiple times. Conservative terrain choices remain essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be rated as CONSIDERABLE.
