ATTENTION!! SNOW STORMS ARE STILL ON TRACK TO ADD SNOW TO AN ALREADY DANGEROUS SNOWPACK. ANTICIPATE THE DANGER TO INCREASE THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS.
A CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger remains on upper elevation steep northwest, north and northeast facing slopes. Human triggered slab avalanches are likely in this terrain. Continue to avoid these steep slopes until we see conditions improve.
Early season snow has produced a persistent weak layer of sugary faceted snow that is now buried 12 to 15 inches deep. Cracking and collapsing of the snowpack demonstrate its unstable structure. With more storms coming that will add more snow on top of this unstable structure, we are sure to see avalanches and the danger increasing into the holidays.
Current Conditions
Benign and mild weather have not changed conditions much over the last few days. Temperatures have remained in the mid 20s with fairly light wind speeds. I'll be getting out in the backcountry for a good look at the snow today so I know the condition of the snowpack before the anticipated period of storms.
Mountain Weather
Today will be the last mild weather day before a period of storms starts to move in. We'll see some high clouds and very mild temperatures. It looks like the southwest wind will increase in speed as the day goes on. Snow should start mid day on Thursday and we should see periods of snow through Friday. Rough estimates are 10 to 15 inches. Currently, it looks like the weather pattern will remain active with more storms lined up.
