Presidential Range

Mostly stable avalanche conditions exist, and large avalanches are unlikely. Maintain standard safety protocols as caution to reduce your risk.

Backcountry travelers found hard, icy snow conditions to be the most common snow surface across avalanche terrain yesterday. Today, avalanche terrain at all aspects and elevations requires crampons, an ice ax, and mountaineering skills in order to move safely in the current snow conditions. On south-facing slopes, it's easy to find a thin, breakable crust formed from several days of warming and cooling thermal cycles that rests on top of a much harder layer from wet snow storms earlier in January. On north-facing slopes, it’s easy to find very hard, wind-hammed snow surfaces with minimal boot penetration. 

Some incoming mixed precipitation today and tonight will be falling on a firm, sometimes icy snow surface that is widespread across avalanche terrain. The slick surface will likely make it difficult for sleet, or new snow to bond. As rain changes over to frozen precipitation types later in the day, you may see new snow and sleet easily sluffing off steep slopes. This doesn’t greatly increase today’s avalanche hazard, but is worth keeping on your radar and something that could make your footing less secure in steeper terrain. 

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts.