Conditions remain dangerous. Our snowpack is unstable. Buried weak layers of faceted snow lie upon a hard crust and continue to be an serious avalanche hazard. At the mid and upper elevations (above an elevation of 7,500 feet) the avalanche hazard is CONSIDERABLE. Large slab avalanches can be triggered by the weight of a single person in steep active avalanche paths that have not recently slid. Expert terrain analysis skills and conservative terrain choices are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 7,500 feet except on isolated terrain features.
At the mid and upper elevations slab avalanches are two to four feet deep. The snow structure is poor and unstable conditions exist on a variety of aspects.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )The weather will be cold and dry under a high pressure ridge. Thermal inversions will promote the development of morning valley fog. Temperatures will drop into the single digits on the summits and will drop below zero in the valleys. Winds are forecast to be from the west-northwest and increase to 15 to 25 miles per hour.The general avalanche hazard remains CONSIDERABLE. Conditions remain dangerous. Our snowpack is unstable due to its poor structure, persistent weak layers of faceted snow on top of a hard crust. Large slab avalanches are likely to be triggered by the weight of a single person in steep active avalanche paths that have not recently slid. The crowns of these avalanches will be 2 to 4 feet deep above an elevation of 8,000 feet and 1 to 2 feet deep between an elevation of 7,000 and 8,000 feet. Expert terrain analysis skills and conservative terrain choices are essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain.
