Temperatures are near or above freezing this morning and rain showers are in the forecast for the mid and lower elevations. Monitor conditions and avoid steep terrain where the snowpack is excessively soft.
Wet loose and wet slab avalanches are possible today in steep terrain, especially in areas with a shallow snowpack and isothermal conditions. These wet slides could be triggered by humans or periods of heavy rainfall.
A strong cold front will move through the forecast region this evening. Widespread snow and rain showers are likely and thunderstorms and hail are possible. The freezing level is expected to descend from an elevation of 10,000 feet to the valley level by midnight. Several inches of snowfall are possible at the highest elevations by daybreak and a total of four to eight inches of new snow accumulation is possible in the mountains by Wednesday evening. Mountain temperatures are forecast to be in the teens in the morning and rise into the 20s and 30s during the day. Winds will be west to southwest at 20 to 30 with gusts to 40 miles per hour.The new snow and strong winds will create soft new wind slabs up to a foot in depth on leeward aspects at the upper elevations. Cold temperatures will mitigate the potential for wet snow avalanches at the mid and lower elevations. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW. Soft slab avalanches up to a foot in depth could be human triggered in steep upper elevation avalanche starting zones with fresh deposits of wind drifted snow.
