To be honest, I'm unsure how today's storm will affect the avalanche conditions. Several factors point to unstable conditions:
- High precipitation intensity. Anytime snow or rain falls rapidly for several hours; things can become unstable.
- Strong wind. Wind drifted snow almost always causes unstable conditions.
- Rain on snow. This could happen at lower elevations and make that terrain become unstable.
HERE'S THE TAKE HOME: This is a much different storm system than what we've had recently. We've had mostly stable avalanche conditions for a long time now. This potentially intense storm could produce dangerous conditions, and we must adjust our habits accordingly. Ratchet things back a bit until the dust settles. You'll want to use caution if you're considering getting into the hills on Saturday.