New snow has fallen on a mostly stable snowpack whose surface was generally a hard crust. In many areas at the higher elevations, a few inches of cold light snow that fell over the weekend lies over that crust . Above 9000 feet, pockets of new wind slab lie upon these recent surfaces. These slabs could be human triggered and will increase in both size and sensitivity as additional snowfall occurs today. At the mid and low elevations, avalanches are unlikely today except for in isolated pockets. Travel safely in the backcountry and avoid unnecessary risks during the COVID-19 crisis.
In upper elevation terrain that is prone to wind loading, soft slabs will continue to form today. These slabs are most likely to be found near ridge crests and in exposed cliff areas. Slabs depths could reach as much as a foot this afternoon.
The heavier snowfall will shift into the southern portion of our forecast region while light to moderate snow showers continue over the western and northern areas. Additional accumulations of 3 to 6 inches are possible in the western and northern areas. Six to 12 inches are possible in the southern areas by Thursday evening. Temperatures will be in the teens tonight and rise into the 20’s during the day. Northerly winds are forecast to be light at 5 to 15 miles per hour.Humans who venture onto steep slopes could trigger loose snow avalanches. In areas where winds have been strong enough to drift snow, humans could triggered soft slab avalanches. These loose snow and soft slab avalanches could be 6 to 18 inches deep. They could be large enough to fully bury and injure or kill a person in terrain with consequences. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be moderate at the higher elevations. The hazard will be low at the lower elevations. A strong wind event is not in the forecast, however if one was to occur it would increase the avalanche hazard.
