Late yesterday, a skier triggered a slide on Jackson Peak. Details are limited at this point, but will be made available as additional information comes in. Similar events are possible today, particularly in extreme terrain. On steep northerly aspects, persistent slabs lie upon faceted snow at the base of the snowpack. These slabs could be triggered directly by backcountry travelers, or indirectly by triggering recently developed wind slabs that step down to this deeper weak layer. Daily warming will makes these slabs more susceptible to failure. Avalanches are unlikely at the mid elevations, and very shallow snow depths and areas of bare ground exist at the lower elevations.
Some potential persist for skiers and riders to trigger older slabs up to three feet in depth on steep, northerly aspects above an elevation of 9,000 feet. These slabs lie upon a mid-October drought surface that is comprised of faceted snow. Thin areas of these slabs may be potential trigger points and previous tracks on these slopes may not be an indication of stability.
Backcountry travelers venturing into very steep, wind loaded avalanche terrain might be able to trigger recently developed pockets of wind slab with depths of one to two feet. Avoid areas of dense wind affected snow in exposed terrain, particularly if they have a hollow, drum like feel.
Expect increasing cloud cover on Tuesday ahead of the first in a series of weak disturbances slated to move through region. Overnight lows in the mountains will be in the mid to upper 20s before rising to near 40 during the day. Ridgetop winds will back to the southwest at 5 to 15 miles per hour.At the higher elevations backcountry travelers who venture into steep, northerly facing avalanche terrain could trigger dense slabs up to 30 inches in depth. These slabs lie upon faceted snow near the base of the snowpack that formed during the October drought period. Thin areas of these slabs are potential trigger points and previous tracks on these slopes are not an indication of stability. The general avalanche hazard below 9,000 feet, where this weak layer does not exist, is expected to be LOW and avalanches are unlikely.
