Warming temperatures and sunshine will combine to increase the hazard as the day progresses. A buried layer of weak faceted snow and warming temperatures will be a concern today in steep terrain. Human triggered slab avalanches are possible. Conservative terrain choices are advised.
Slab avalanches up to three feet in depth could be triggered by humans on steep slopes. The sensitivity of these slabs to human triggers is expected to increase as the day warms.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Limited moisture in a northwest flow will continue to bring low clouds and the chance of snow showers or flurries to the mountains. Skies will be partly cloudy on Saturday. Temperatures will rise into the 30s in the mountains and to near 40 in the valleys. Northwest winds will be light at 5 to 15 miles per hour and back from the northwest to the southwest.In all areas isolated pockets of wind slab up to 18 inches in depth and loose snow sluffs will continue to pose a hazard to humans who venture into steep avalanche prone terrain. In some areas weak layers of faceted snow within the snowpack remain a concern and present the potential for humans to trigger slab avalanches up to three feet deep. Sunshine and warm temperatures will increase the sensitivity of these slabs to human triggers. Loose snow sluffs are possible on steep sunlit aspects. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE and will be on the increase as the day progresses.
