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Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik on
Thursday morning, January 8, 2026

There is a MODERATE avalanche danger on upper elevation steep slopes that face NW, N, NE, and E. Human-triggered avalanches are possible in this terrain. The weak layer is loose sugary faceted snow near the ground. Areas with recent deposits of wind-drifted snow are the most suspect. To stay safe, simply avoid slopes steeper than 30° in the described terrain.

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Weather and Snow
General Conditions: As of 7am, snow is falling. We've picked up about 4 inches overnight. Temperatures are around 20°F. Wind is moderate in speed from the west. It looks a bit breezy along the most exposed peaks. We are still averaging only about 2 feet of total snow depth across the higher terrain on the Skyline. Despite thin snow cover, the snowpack is actually fairly supportable and riding conditions should be good today.
Mountain Weather: Anticipate periods of snow through the day. I'm thinking we could see another few inches of snow accumulation by the time the storm ends tonight. Temperatures will continue to cool, dropping into the single digits tonight. Wind will be from the northwest and should stay in the moderate speed category. I think it will increase in speed later this afternoon and tonight. Things start to clear out Friday and there are not really any storms in the near future.
Avalanche Problem #1
Persistent Weak Layer
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description

A Persistent Weak Layer of facets near the ground is present through the high terrain on the Skyline. This isn't posing a huge threat yet but enough to cause some concern. I continue to experience cracking and collapsing while traveling. The issue is most pronounced above about 9500 feet on NW, N, NE, and E facing slopes. If you do happen to trigger an avalanche today, it isn't going to be huge but could be enough to cause you harm.

General Announcements
This forecast is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.