It's still warm. This morning's 5 am temperatures are in the 30's. Warm temperatures and an increasing chance of rain showers will keep the wet snow avalanche hazard elevated. Wet loose slides are possible on steep slopes. These slides could be human triggered or release naturally. The potential for large wet slab avalanches to occur must also be considered. These wet snow avalanche hazards warrant a cautious approach to avalanche terrain. Wet snow surfaces, wet snow beneath the snow surface, a loss of strength in the snowpack and new avalanche activity are indications of instability.
Wet loose avalanches are possible on a variety of aspects and wet slab avalanches should be considered to be possible. Once triggered these slides may entrain significant volumes of wet snow. These slides could be several feet deep and in some areas may step or gouge down to the ground.
A pacific trough and cold front will cross the forecast areas tonight and into tomorrow morning. Precipitation is expected to start this evening with the freezing level around 8,000 feet, and then by midnight, the snow/rain mix should transition to all snow. The heaviest snowfall is expected to occur between 9 PM and 3 AM, with an accumulation of 3 to 6 inches in the mountains and 1 to 2 inches in the valleys by tomorrow morning. Light snowfall will continue through Tuesday. Temperatures will drop into the 20s overnight and are only expected to warm about 5 to 10 degrees. Ridgetop winds will veer from the west to the northwest at 10 to 20 miles per hour with higher gusts. Freezing temperatures will mitigate the wet snow avalanche hazard, resulting in a mostly stable snowpack. Any moving snow hazards will be limited to the new snow and isolated to wind-loaded features on steep terrain above 9,000 feet. The avalanche hazard is expected to be Low.
