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Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik on
Monday morning, April 1, 2024
The overall avalanche danger is MODERATE on the Skyline today.
Look for recent avalanches and cracking within the new snow. These are signs of unstable snow.
The danger is most pronounced around Fairview Canyon which received the most snow.
Overall, I'm not expecting things to be very dangerous. Just don't let your guard down and pay attention out there.
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Weather and Snow
Current Conditions: This storm continues to elude me. Just when I think it's slowing down, BAM! 10" of new snow in Fairview Canyon. The central and southern end didn't pick up as much. You'll find only a few inches of new snow there. Riding conditions will continue to be quite fun. Temperatures cooled into the low to mid 20s. There was a slight bump in wind speeds from the southwest just before this last wave of snow moved in. The wind has been light to moderate overnight. For some more details of what Easter was like, check out Chris Magerl's backcountry observation.
Mountain Weather: I just don't know what the last part of this storm is going to do but my best guess is that today will be one of those unsettled spring-like days with clouds, then sun, then some snow, then some sun. Kind of all over the place. Snow shouldn't accumulate all that much. Perhaps we'll see a trace or a couple of inches by Tuesday morning. The flow will shift around and come from the north northeast and high temperatures will be around freezing. Clear skies and warm temperatures move in through Friday then it looks like a small storm will move through Saturday.
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Avalanche Problem #1
New Snow
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Description
Overall, I think the snow should be mostly stable today. That said, we've picked up A LOT OF SNOW over the last week. We're in the 3 foot range. There are numerous layers of new snow and sometimes it's best to let the glue dry between those layers before totally trusting it with your life. My group experienced a large collapse yesterday involving the new snow. That's pretty odd and definitely seems like an outlier. I have seen no other signs of instability or any recent avalanches. Here's what to look out for today.
FAIRVIEW CANYON AREA: Look for any instabilities within the new snow. 10 new inches came in fast and may be unstable yet today. Watch for cracks. Cut above other tracks and use small steep test slopes to see if anything moves. Be aware that if the sun pokes out that it can make the new snow unstable. If you see any of this stuff, avoid being on steep slopes.
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS: The only problem you'll encounter is in areas where the wind has drifted the new snow. East facing terrain is the most suspect. Avoid steep slopes especially right below ridges where wind has deposited snow.
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.