Mountain temperatures will rise well above freezing for the first time in quite a while today, with high temperatures forecast to be around 40 degrees in the shade at 9000' in elevation. It'll be downright toasty in the sun and with only a light westerly breeze, solar radiation will be magnified in sheltered sunny bowl areas like in a solar oven. Melting will cause the snow surface to become saturated, and loose wet avalanches are likely on steep slopes. Natural wet avalanches are likely during the midday heat where loose snow falls from cliff bands or trees onto steep slope below. Loose wet avalanches are generally manageable from above, but you have to make sure nobody is below because they have the tendency to widen out in descent or run further than expected. Consider and avoid potential terrain traps like gullies or trees below steep slopes.

Persistent slabs around a foot deep are unlikely in most areas, but still possible at all elevations on previously drifted slopes. Drifts formed on weak sugary faceted surface snow, in many areas capped by a rime crust from January 8th. The very weak and well preserved faceted snow from early January is a persistent weak layer that may haunt us for some time to come. The snow is especially weak at lower and mid elevations and where the snowpack is generally shallow, but. in most areas a slab layer consisting of harder snow above the weakness is lacking.

Watch out for old wind slabs on the lee side of major ridges and in and around terrain features like cliff bands, sub-ridges, gullies, and scoops. Avoid stiff drifts on steep slopes, which often appear smooth or rounded and chalky looking, and they sometimes sound rather hollow. Stiff hard slabs might allow you to get out on them before releasing. Although a rather unlikely scenario in these conditions, you might trigger persistent slab avalanches remotely, from a distance or below. Cracking and audible collapsing are red flags.