Salt River and Wyoming Ranges

The General Avalanche Hazard is MODERATE in the morning increasing to CONSIDERABLE by afternoon. Sunshine and little wind will heat the snowpack rapidly today increasing the chance for wet, loose surface slides on sunlit slopes. Sunlit slopes include Notheast to Northwest aspects this time of year. Slides may be started by natural sloughs off rocky areas, cornices or backcountry travellers. Another concern is surface slabs to two feet in depth that could be released in steep pockets that have seen little traffic on Northerly aspects. Surface slides could pull out deeper layers of snow resting on weak layers in the snowpack. Ride early and stay off steep slopes after noon.

( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. ) An upper ridge of high pressure will keep skies mostly sunny Wednesday morning with 9500 foot highs expected to reach the upper thirties. Clouds and southwest wind speeds will increase in the afternoon as a trough of low pressure approaches the area. The General Avalanche Hazard will begin at MODERATE Wednesday morning and may increase to CONSIDERABLE if skies remain clear into the afternoon. Wet, loose slides starting from skiers, riders, snow sloughing off cliffs or cornice drops could build to dangerous size. Steep northerly aspects hold pockets of slabs to two feet deep that could be triggered. Deeper slides are possible in areas with shallower overall snowpacks like the Continental Divide area.