Spring conditions exist and backcountry travelers are advised to recreate early and be out of avalanche terrain before snow surfaces become soft and unstable. Steep slopes, warm temperatures and large triggers, like snowmobiles, are a recipe for wet slide activity. The 5 AM air temperatures this morning are around 10 to 15 degrees cooler than yesterday morning, however todays afternoon temperatures will rise well into the 40s and abundant sunshine is forecast for the entire day. These conditions will significantly increase the wet snow avalanche hazard as the day progresses. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW in the early morning hours and increase to MODERATE during the day. Human triggered wet slides are possible on steep slopes after snow surfaces soften.
Some potential exist for skiers and snowmobiles to trigger large wet slab avalanches and small wet loose slides on very steep slopes, especially during the warmest portion of the day.
Isolated pockets of soft slab up to a foot in depth could be human triggered in steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones in shaded terrain at the highest elevations.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Dry weather is expected. On Sunday skies will be mostly sunny. Winds will be light from the west to southwest. Temperatures are forecast to drop into the 20s overnight and rise into the 40 and 50s during the day. Spring conditions exist and backcountry travelers are advised to recreate early and be out of avalanche terrain before snow surfaces become soft and unstable. Steep slopes, warm temperatures and large triggers, like snowmobiles, are a recipe for wet slide activity. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW in the early morning hours and increase to MODERATE and possibly to CONSIDERABLE during the warmest portion of the day.
