Dense surface slabs formed by southwest winds lie upon persistent weak layers of buried surface hoar. These slabs could be human triggered today. They could be triggered by the weight of the first person on a slope or may be triggered after a slope has been crossed multiple times. The sensitivity of these slabs to human triggers may increase as temperatures warm on steep slopes that receive abundant sunshine.
At the mid and upper elevations dense surface slabs up to two feet in depth could be human triggered on buried layers of surface hoar in steep terrain. At the lower elevations pockets of dense slab up to a foot in depth could be human triggered on buried layers of surface hoar in areas without significant rain crusts.
Skies will be mostly clear on Wednesday as high pressure builds into the area, and inverted temperatures develop. Overnight lows in the mountains will dip into the single digits with the valleys will being 5 to 10 degrees cooler. Daytime highs at all elevations will be in the mid to upper teens. Northerly to northwesterly ridgetop winds will range from 5 to 15 miles per hour.Recently developed, dense surface slabs lie upon well-developed surface hoar. These persistent slabs, with depths of one to two feet, could be triggered by skiers and riders on a variety of aspects at the mid and upper elevations. Some potential remains for backcountry travelers to trigger isolated pockets of shallow slab at the lower elevations in terrain that was above the rain/snow line. As the day warms, these slabs may become more susceptible to failure on sunlit aspects.
