Presidential Range

You’re unlikely to trigger an avalanche today on a wind-scoured and firm snowpack. Look out for isolated, small drifts of smooth snow that could still be unstable and continue to use normal caution when traveling in avalanche terrain.Tonight, 3 - 5 inches of new snow and increasing winds will increase avalanche danger on east-facing and south-facing slopes. Look out for rapidly forming drifts of new snow as a sign that your chances of triggering an avalanche are increasing.

In most areas, you’re unlikely to find an avalanche problem and instead find a wind-scoured and hardened snow surface. Check out the forecaster observations from Sunday in Tuckerman Ravine and Gulf of Slides, showing a widespread firm and stable snowpack.

In the most wind-protected areas like in tight gullies, below cliffs, and around rocks, you may find isolated and very small areas of stiff wind slab. While this snow is generally well-bonded to the hard snow underneath, it's worth using your hand, a pole, or a shovel to dig into this snow and assess the risk of traveling on it. This observation in Hillman’s Highway describes this scenario well. Remember that triggering even a very small avalanche could be dangerous if it causes a fall in steep terrain on a hard snow surface.New snowfall is forecast to begin late this afternoon with up to 5 inches of accumulation by tomorrow morning. Combined with increasing winds out of the northwest, this setup is likely to build new wind slabs that are resting on top of today’s hard snow surface that could be sensitive to your weight. The most likely place to find a new windslab tonight is on steep east-facing and south-facing slopes above 3000 feet. Deep, rapidly forming drifts, plumes of snow blowing near the ridgelines, and shooting cracks in the snow are all signs of a new, potentially dangerous avalanche problem.

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation on our website or in the new Avy phone app of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts.