At the upper elevations, backcountry travelers have the potential to trigger isolated pockets of soft slab today on certain aspects where recent snow lies upon a combination of weak snow and a very hard rain crust formed in October. Be cautious of the early season consequences of being caught in one of these small events. Snow depths remain too shallow for avalanche production at the mid and low elevations.
Weak faceted snow lies between recent snow and a very hard and slick snow layer formed during sustained rain in October. These layers exist on east, north, and west aspects above 9000 feet where isolated pockets of soft slab to 18 inches could be triggered in very steep terrain.
Expect mostly clear skies overnight followed by increasing cloud cover during the day on Saturday as an upper level low pressure system approaches the area. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid teens before rising into the upper 20s during the day. Southwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 10 to 20 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be LOW on Saturday. The primary layer of concern is faceted snow resting on the hard October rain crust. This persistent weak layer exists on westerly through northerly to easterly aspects above 9,000 feet. On mostly shaded slopes, this crust can dip below 9,000 feet. In steep, avalanche prone terrain at the higher elevations, backcountry travelers might be able to trigger an isolated pocket of surface slab 6 to 18 inches deep that fails on this crust/facet combination.
