Hello and good morning, this is Toby Weed
of the
Current Conditions:
Considering the lack of new snow, you can
still find remarkably good conditions on lots of slopes in the
It's 3 degrees this morning at the Campbell Scientific
weather station on top of
Avalanche Conditions:
A couple inches of light snow won't be enough to change the avalanche conditions much. Avalanches are unlikely today in the backcountry. But you might find some small exceptions on very steep slopes. I was able to start small dry point-release avalanches or sluffs yesterday in the cohesion-less surface snow. These weren't a problem for me yesterday, but with a little new snow added into the mix you might be pushed into a tree or off a rock. Also, you might find an isolated wind-drift or two in exposed terrain at high elevations. Most of these bonded well to the underlying snow, but a few may be resting on weak sugary snow and could be sensitive to your weight on especially steep slopes.
If we get more snow than expected, and if the wind kicks up, the danger could increase on steep wind-drifted slopes. The rather cold temperatures of late are rotting out the snowpack, especially where it is shallow. If you reach in and feel the snow, it feels granular like sand, and you can't get it to stick together in a snowball. I'm finding very weak snow near the surface on many slopes. A couple inches of light density snow caps a nice layer of frost crystals or surface hoar. As you might expect with the cold temperatures and clear nights, I've also found developing weak layers within the existing snowpack. The only lacking ingredient for avalanches in the region is a cohesive slab, and we need some real weather for that to form.
Bottom Line:
There's a LOW avalanche danger in the backcountry. Avalanches are unlikely, with isolated exceptions on very steep slopes. The danger on some slopes could increase by tomorrow with higher than predicted snowfall or winds.
Mountain Weather:
It should snow a little today, but we'll be
happy with the 2 inches forecast. Cloudy skies with periods of light snow
and continued cold temperatures will likely preserve current snow conditions
through the weekend. Another small shot of snow is possible late Sunday.
Still no significant storms loom, and a ridge of high
pressure, complete with drastically warmer mountain temperatures and
valley smog will probably set up over
General Information:
For a list of our upcoming classes and awareness talks, go to our education page
Snow nerds, check out the new Snow Profiles page.
Please send backcountry observations to [email protected], especially if you see or trigger an avalanche in the backcountry.
I will update this advisory on Sunday morning.
The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
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