By afternoon strong winds and new snow will begin to increase the hazard in upper elevation avalanche starting zones. Pockets of new soft slab could be human triggered in steep terrain where rapid loading occurs.
In the afternoon strong westerly winds will begin to create small pockets of soft surface slab in upper elevation avalanche starting zones. These shallow slabs will form upon hard crusts, could build to depths of 6 to 12 inches and are expected to be sensitive to human triggers.
Snowfall intensity will decrease overnight along with cloud cover during the day on Wednesday. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid-teens before rising into the low to mid 20s in the afternoon. Westerly to northwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 25 to 35 miles per hour overnight before decreasing to 10 to 20 during the day.The general avalanche hazard is expected to be MODERATE on Wednesday. At the higher elevations, backcountry travelers could trigger pockets of shallow slab six to eighteen inches in depth. These slabs lie upon slick sliding surfaces that developed through an extended dry period and numerous melt/freeze cycles.
