A large storm system off the Gulf of Alaska will begin it's trek our way today. This will bring clouds, light to moderate WSW winds and a chance for snow today. The bulk of this system will be affecting points north but we could pick up a few inches of snow tonight. Saturday will remain cloudy with a chance for snow. The main event for our area kicks in Saturday night into Sunday as a low pressure system with good jet support moves in off the coast of southern California. A foot or more of new snow seems likely at this time. Stay tuned.

The mountains picked up about 6" of snow this week. Snow cover remains thin in the Abajo mountains ranging from about 20" in lower North Creek to up to 3' on sheltered, northerly aspects around Cooley Pass. Wind exposed terrain alternates between scoured and wind drifted, while most southerly aspects have less than a foot of snow.

A poor snowpack structure has developed on shady slopes where loose, weak, sugary snow has formed a persistent weak layer under a slab of stronger snow. This poor snowpack structure leads to unstable avalanche conditions. West winds will blow 15-20 mph today, strong enough to blow and drift the new snow and complicate avalanche conditions. Wind drifted snow creates unstable slabs and adds more stress to buried weak layers. In general, suspect avalanche danger steep, northerly facing slopes, especially if wind drifted. Human triggered avalanches are possible in these areas.

Photo illustrates strong snow with a slab over weak snow. Everything below the brown dust layer is weak, sugary, facted snow.

Conditons remain thin with uneven coverage. Note, however, areas with wind drifted snow on the leeward sides of ridge crests and gully walls. Wind drifts are recognizable by their smooth, rounded appearance, and cracking is a sign of instability.

Thin coverage on south and westerly facing slopes.