Strong northwest winds with gusts to 66 miles per hour overnight created new soft slabs on leeward aspects at the mid and upper elevations. Sunshine and warm temperatures will cause wet loose slides to occur in steep terrain at the mid and upper elevations and increase the likelihood for humans to trigger slab avalanches on steep slopes with fresh deposits of wind wind blown snow.
Winds slabs up to two feet in depth at the the upper elevations and up to 18 inches in depth in isolated pockets at the mid elevations were formed overnight. These slabs could be human triggered in steep terrain, especially during the warmest portion of the day.
At the mid and upper elevations abundant sunshine and warming temperatures are likely to cause wet loose slides on very steep slopes.
Sunshine and above normal temperatures are forecast for the next two days. On Tuesday skies will be clear. Temperatures will be in the low 20s at daybreak and will rise into the 40s at 10,500 feet and into the mid 50s in the valleys. Winds will be light from the west. The sunshine and warm temperatures will increase the hazard during the day. At the higher elevations the hazard will increase to CONSIDERABLE. Shallow point slides involving the recent new snow are likely on very steep slopes. Wet slabs up to two feet in depth could be human triggered or release naturally. Cornices are huge. Cornice failures are possible and could trigger deep slab avalanches.
