Storm totals since Wednesday evening are already over 30 inches of snow with over three inches of moisture. Moderate to heavy snowfall accompanied by strong westerly winds will continue through the day. Dense slab avalanches could be human triggered or release naturally on slick old snow surfaces and density changes within the new snow. These dangerous avalanches are likely to be un-survivable. At the mid elevations human triggered slab avalanches that fail on old snow surfaces are possible on northerly aspects between the elevations of 8,000 to 9,000 feet. Careful snowpack evaluations and a cautious approach to terrain selection will be essential for safe travel in avalanche terrain at the mid and upper elevations. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 8,000 feet.
At the upper elevations and on northerly aspects down to an elevation of 8,000 feet dangerous slab avalanches could be human triggered on old snow surfaces and on density differences within the storm snow. These slabs have been formed by strong west to southwest winds and could be up to four feet deep. They will continue to gain depth and volume as the day progresses.
A Winter Storm Warning remains in place until 5 AM on Sunday morning. Periods of moderate to heavy snowfall will continue this evening before beginning to decrease in intensity after midnight. Westerly ridgetop winds at 20 to 30 miles per hour will accompany this snowfall. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the low to mid-teens before rising to near 20 during the day.The general avalanche hazard is expected to remain CONSIDERABLE above 9,000 feet on Sunday. Skiers and riders venturing into avalanche terrain could trigger dense slab avalanches ranging in depth from two to four feet. These slides could fail on old snow surfaces in partially to mostly shaded terrain that held snow from October or on density breaks within the recent snowfall. The hazard will decrease with a drop in elevation as snow cover from October dissipates and the effect of the wind diminishes.
