Yesterday's storm brought 8 to 12 inches of new snow and gusty winds to the mountains. Freshly formed wind slabs lie upon hard old snow surfaces. Human triggered slab avalanches are possible on steep slopes. Avalanches are unlikely below an elevation of 7,500 feet.
Wind slabs one to two feet in depth that were formed by southwest to northwest winds could be triggered by riders or skiers who venture into steep terrain.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )More snow is forecast overnight. Temperatures on the summit will drop into the single digits. Winds will veer to the northwest with gusts from 30 to 50 miles per hour. On Monday snow and wind will taper off during the day leaving lingering flurries or isolated light snow showers in the mountains in the afternoon. Summit temperatures will rise into the teens.Snow and winds will continue to build new soft slabs on hard old snow surfaces. These slabs could build to depths of one to two feet. Skiers and riders could trigger those slabs in steep wind loaded avalanche starting zones at the mid and upper elevations. The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on steep slopes above an elevation of 7,500 feet. Little snow exists at the lower elevations.
