Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik for
Saturday, February 4, 2023
The overall danger rating is LOW today.
Unless you are pushing the limits by getting onto very steep, radical terrain, avalanche conditions are generally safe.
The snowpack is mostly stable. Watch for recent deposits of wind drifted snow on steep slopes near ridgelines.
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Moderate
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High
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Weather and Snow
Current Conditions: Riding conditions remain pretty good in many areas, although you kind of need to seek it out now. Wind from the southwest on Friday remained pretty light with moderate speeds along the highest terrain. Temperatures got into the mid 30s on Friday and dropped into the mid 20s overnight with colder temperatures down in the canyons and valley bottoms.
Mountain Weather: We'll see mostly clear skies this morning with clouds moving in the afternoon. Temperatures will get into the mid 30s again. Wind from the southwest should remain light for most of the day. A storm moves in on Sunday and will linger into Monday. Snow totals are a little questionable with one weather model hinting at 6 to 10 inches and another weather model indicating much less.
Recent Avalanches
I was somewhat surprised to actually find a recent avalanche on Friday. However, it was in the exact type of terrain you would go to to find an avalanche right now. It was a very steep east facing slope with a recent deposit of wind drifted snow (white arrows). A snowmobiler jumped off a cornice and triggered it when he landed (red arrow). This is a great example showing that if you are looking for trouble out there, you can almost always find it despite how stable the snowpack is.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
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Likelihood
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Description
The snowpack is stable, and you must hunt around to find trouble. The photo above is a prime example of the type of terrain where you might trigger a small slide. In general, things are safe if you are not pushing the limits. It is unlikely that you will trigger any avalanches from a distance right now. You need to be up on a very steep wind loaded slope to get something to release at this time.
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.