Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik for
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
There is a MODERATE avalanche danger on the Skyline.
Wet snow avalanches mostly in the mid elevations (8000'-9500') are a minor concern.
Avoid steep slopes if you find yourself punching knee deep through the wet sloppy snowpack.
Low
Moderate
Considerable
High
Extreme
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Weather and Snow
Current Conditions
It was a real mess out there yesterday. There was 8 to 10 inches of new heavy wet snow on top of a wet, sloppy unsupportable base. Once I got up to around 10,000', there was a melt freeze crust below the new snow which provided enough support that I wasn't punching deep into wet unconsolidated snow. Temperatures stayed pretty warm with most stations in the upper 20s to around 30 overnight again. I'm guessing that everything below 9500' remains a wet sloppy mess. The wind shifted to the northwest and has been blowing in the moderate speed range. We picked up about 3 inches of snow in the last 24 hours.
Mountain Weather
We have a little snowfall this morning which may add a few more inches before tapering off. We should see some clearing this afternoon. Temperatures are going to get into the mid 30s with moderate speed northwest wind. Another small storm will move through on Thursday that could bring a trace to a couple of inches of snow.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wet Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
Wet snow avalanche problems are the main concern today although they probably won't pose much threat. The higher elevations stayed colder and the old wet snow has formed a melt freeze crust. The mid elevations remain sloppy, wet, punchy and unsupportable. These areas are where you're likely to find trouble if there is any to be found. If you find your boots punching deep into wet unconsolidated snow, avoid being on and below really steep slopes. My guess is that even though the snowpack is a wet loose mess, we won't see any avalanche activity today. It looks like we'll have a couple of clear nights with temperatures dipping into the low 20s. This should help freeze the snowpack making more supportable conditions.
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.