Elkhorns

The avalanche danger remains low in our area mountains. Normal springtime travel precautions should be taken. Avoid steep south-facing terrain in the afternoon and stay far back from cornice edges. A fall on a steep slope containing firm snow could end up turning into a fast, uncontrollable, and consequential slide.

Forecast presented by @onxbackcountry. onX Backcountry is a GPS navigation and mapping tool designed with your backcountry objectives in mind, equipped with Avalanche Forecast and Slope Angle layers, Offline Maps and more.

We are in a fairly benign springtime weather pattern with hard nighttime freezes at upper elevations and little in the way of precipitation. The freezing level is hovering between 5500' to 6000'. The weak storm system impacting our area this morning will bring a light dusting of snow to most mountain locations. This storm system will dissipate throughout the day with gradually clearing conditions. Winds will increase with frontal passage this morning and ridgetop winds are forecast to be out of the west at 15-20 mph.

The nightly hard freezes have allowed our snowpack to stabilize and normal springtime precautions should be taken. This means getting off and out from under steep south-facing slopes in the afternoon (especially if the sun pokes out) and giving overhanging cornice edges wide berth. The relatively warm springtime temperatures can weaken cornices, causing them to fail with the added extra weight of a human. Keep in mind that cornices tend to break further back from slope edges than you might think. Another hazard to think about this time of year is the possibility of taking a fall on a steep slope containing firm snow, which could end up turning into a fast, uncontrollable, and consequential slide. Before you drop in on a steep slope with firm snow carefully evaluate the consequences if you lose an edge.