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Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik for
Saturday, March 16, 2019
The avalanche danger starts out LOW this morning. It may increase to MODERATE as the snow surface heats up and becomes damp. Stay off of steep slopes that become wet and sloppy. This is more of a concern in the low and mid elevations especially later in the day.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Weather and Snow
The snow was pretty well behaved on Friday and I did not come across any significant red flags. Most slopes heated up and became damp from the sun and warm temperatures but not to the point where there were natural avalanches releasing. Temperatures overnight dropped into the low teens and you'll find crusts on all the slopes that heated up on Friday. Wind remains light.
We'll see another sunny day today with temperatures slightly warmer than Friday with highs in the mid 30s along the ridges. We have a number of clear days ahead.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Normal Caution
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
In general, avalanche conditions are fairly safe right now. Here are a couple things to keep in mind:
  • Daytime heating may be enough to cause some wet avalanche activity as the day goes on. This probably won't be a huge concern as we've already gone through one melt/freeze cycle.
  • Lingering wind slabs from the last storm may still crack out on the steepest slopes. This shouldn't be much of an issue today either as the snow from the last storm has had a couple of days to settle and stabilize.
  • The consequences are always higher if you are getting into steep and extreme terrain.
  • Make sure everyone in your group is carrying the proper rescue gear and knows how to use it.
Additional Information
This forecast is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.