Avalanche hazard will increase today as a system brings significant snowfall to the area. At the mid and high elevations strong winds will aid in the development of new surface slabs that will increase in size and sensitivity. Backcountry travelers have the potential to trigger these new slabs as well as loose snow sluffs and older slabs that lie in the snowpack. At the low elevations the chance to trigger loose snow sluffs and soft surface slabs will develop in steep terrain, particularly in shaded areas where faceted snow prevails.
Strong west-southwest winds and rapid snowfall will quickly build new wind slabs at the mid and high elevations. These slabs are forming on slick sliding surfaces and will be easily susceptible to human triggers this afternoon. Depending on total accumulations these slabs could have depths to eighteen inches by the end of the day today.
Persistent layers of faceted snow lie in the snowpack. Slabs laying on these layers vary from one foot to as much as four feet in depth. These older hard slabs could be triggered after initiation of a new wind slab, by a single person hitting a weak spot, or by larger loads such as snow machines.
Snow is to continue this evening as the system pushes through the area. Another weaker disturbance is to bring periods of snow on Friday. An additional six inches of snow could fall by tomorrow evening. Highs tomorrow are to be in the upper teens. Winds tomorrow are to be westerly and strong with twenty to thirty five mile per hour averages. The general avalanche hazard will be Considerable above 7500 feet and Moderate below that elevation. The continued snowfall is to increase the size of new wind slabs that have formed on steep leeward slopes. These slabs lie on slick sliding surfaces and weak snow and could be easily human triggered with depths of one to two feet. At lower elevations, new snow lies upon a weak and faceted snowpack in steep shaded terrain where loose snow sluffs or pockets of soft slab could be triggered.
