The general avalanche hazard is MODERATE. Pockets of new wind slab and denser older slabs could be human triggered in steep avalanche prone terrain, especially by larger triggers such as snowmachines.
In areas with recent new snow northwest winds have formed pockets of wind slab up to one foot in depth. These slabs could be easily triggered by humans in steep wind loaded terrain and could step down to deeper layers.
Faceted snow persists in the snowpack. In some areas this weak snow exists as layers while in cold shallow areas the entire snowpack can be faceted. Slabs resting on these layers can be triggered by backcountry travelers, especially those on snowmobiles. These slabs could be one to three feet in depth and are likely to be large in size if they are triggered on steep northerly aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Skies will remain cloudy and the northwest flow will continue to bring periods of light snowfall to the mountains. At the upper elevations a couple of inches of new snow are possible overnight and several inches are likely during the day. Daytime temperatures will rise into the teens and 20s. Winds will be west to northwest at 15 to 20 miles per hour with higher gusts.Pockets of soft surface slab up to 18 inches in depth will be sensitive to human triggers in areas with fresh deposits of wind-blown snow. The snowpack beneath the new snow has a variety of weak layers of faceted snow. At the mid and upper elevations humans, especially those on snowmobiles, could trigger dense slab avalanches one to three feet deep on these weak layers. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE at the mid and upper elevations and LOW at the lower elevations.
