Your terrain selection choices could end your life today. At the mid and upper elevations many slopes are unstable and waiting for human triggers. These slabs are failing on persistent weak layers and could be triggered remotely, possible by another party. The full understanding of the severity and nature of this hazard is essential to your survival. Study the recent avalanche events and field observations posted on our website. Multiple large avalanches have been recently triggered by skiers between an elevation of 9,500 and 7,500 feet. Most backcountry avalanche fatalities occur during periods of moderate or considerable hazard. The hazard associated with a persistent slab avalanche problem is the most likely to harm recreational backcountry users. Current conditions are ripe for serious avalanche accidents.
Large slab avalanches are likely to be human triggered on a variety of aspects above an elevation of 7,000 feet. These slabs could be two to five feet deep at the upper elevations and are expected to be one to two feet deep below an elevation of 8,000 feet.
A series of weak disturbances are to bring periods of light to moderate snowfall overnight and into Thursday morning. Lingering snow showers are expected through the day before a stronger pulse brings more significant snowfall late Thursday afternoon and night. Mountain temperatures tomorrow are to reach the mid-twenties and west winds are to be strong with thirty to forty mile per hour averages. The general avalanche hazard will be Considerable above 7500 feet and Moderate below. Existing slabs lie upon persistent weak layers on most aspects above 7000 feet. These slabs are typically two feet in depth but deeper slabs to as great as five feet are possible in areas of avalanche terrain where more snow fell or was transported by winds. These are dangerous conditions and require thoughtful route finding as well as careful snowpack and constant terrain analysis.
