Overnight air temperatures at 8500 feet stayed above freezing. Wet loose avalanche activity and cornice failure is possible at the mid and high elevations today. The snow surface has hardened only above 8000 feet. This surface crust will be thin and quickly break down on east aspects followed by all other aspects. Backcountry travelers are advised to be out of even high elevation terrain by the mid to late morning. Evaluate terrain carefully and watch for very steep areas where wet slides are more likely.
Wet loose slides are possible in very steep terrain on a variety of aspects. These slides could begin as shallow surface snow and then entrain deeper and deeper layers of snow in steep and long slidepaths.
Large overhanging cornices could fail due to sustained warm temperatures and rain at the higher elevations. Cornice failures can be huge impacts to a slope and trigger avalanches in a mostly stable snowpack. Avoid cornices and the slopes beneath them.
( Discussion is generated from the previous day's afternoon forecast. )Following shower activity with possible lightning this evening, high pressure is to build tonight thru Tuesday morning. A wave of pacific moisture will lead to more widespread showers and possible thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon. Mountain temperatures should rise from just below freezing to the upper forties before these disturbances arrive, resulting in the snow line being around 9500 feet at the onset of the showers. The general avalanche hazard will be Moderate on Tuesday. Although a harder surface crust is expected at high elevations in the early morning, it will quickly break down. Generally the snowpack remains warm and weak. The chance continues to trigger small wet slides that could entrain significant amounts of snow in longer paths, particularly at the mid elevations. Large cornices that have not failed will be fragile to human presence and could peel off naturally.
