As new snow and moderate wind speeds continue to load slopes and form slabs, it will be possible for backcountry travelers to trigger slab avalanches one to two feet deep above 8,000 feet. During periods of heavy snowfall rates and stronger wind speeds, skiers and riders should monitor conditions for increasing hazard as peak loading occurs. Below 8,000 feet, slab avalanches are unlikely, although on steep slopes with sustained vertical relief loose snow sluffing could gain momentum. Backcountry travelers should assess conditions for wind loading as well as buried weak layers and good sliding surfaces.
Moderate southwesterly winds with gusts into the 30s are expected to continue through today. These conditions have scoured windward slopes and loaded leeward slopes at the upper elevations forming slabs one to two feet deep. Backcountry travelers should monitor conditions as wind slabs continue to build throughout the day.
Snow will decrease this evening and end from north to south after midnight. Skies will be partly cloudy in the morning and are to be overcast by evening. Temperatures will be near 10 degrees by daybreak and then warm into the teens and 20s. Northwest winds will be light at 5 to 15 miles per hour.This week’s snow and wind have increased the avalanche hazard. Slab avalanches 1 to 3 feet in depth can be triggered by the weight of a single person. Persistent weak layers at the interface of the old snow surface and this week’s new snow are a concern that require your full attention. These types of hazard are best mitigated by conservative terrain choices. Evaluate steep slopes carefully and anticipate the potential consequences of triggering a large slab avalanche or a small slab avalanche above terrain traps or on slopes with low snow hazards that can cause serious trauma. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be moderate at the mid and upper elevations. At the lower elevations small avalanches are possible on isolated terrain features. Down there the hazard will be low.
