Announcements This is our last avalanche advisory of the 2012/2013 season. Thank you for your support this winter.  We will continue to keep an eye on the snowpack and issue special advisories if severe conditions develop.  Please post observations to our facebook page.

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Reported Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 7:00 AM

	Weather Forecast Today: Mostly cloudy. 1-3” of snow. West-Northwest winds 5-15 mph. A high near 30. Tonight: Decreasing clouds. 0-2” of snow. West winds 5-15 mph. A low near 20. Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. West-southwest winds 10-20 mph. A high near 40. Weather Outlook A weak shortwave disturbance will pass across the state today, with light snowfall through the day diminishing by midnight. Tomorrow will be warmer and dryer with the jet stream to our north. Unsettled but fairly tame weather continues next week, with a number of weak disturbances fueled under cool, northwest flow.

The avalanche danger is MODERATE (Level 2) near and above treeline. Below treeline, the danger is LOW (Level 1) .

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Recent snow has drifted into sensitive windslabs over slick crusts on leeward and crossloaded terrain near and above treeline.

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Deep persistent slabs lurk in isolated slopes at high elevations where this season's snow and windloading have piled thick slabs onto weak facets near the ground. Although triggering a deep slab is unlikely, it would carry large consequences.

2" to 8" fell on Wednesday, and subsequent moderate winds have drifted the recent snow into windslabs, most of which formed over a dust/crust layer. The winter-like temperatures in the past few days have delayed their healing as they’ve grown in size. Observers yesterday reported touchy wind slabs over a foot deep in some areas, with larger windslabs towards the western portion of our forecast area. These can be found at higher elevations on the eastern half of the compass or on crossloaded features.

Last weekend’s storm produced natural deep slab avalanches in Redwell Basin, Whetstone Mountain (photos), and Cement Mountain ( photo). This is a good reminder that our snowpack is still dry and winter-like on high elevation slopes, especially on the northern half of the compass. Deep slabs are like a person leaving an all-you-can-eat buffet; they are most volatile during and shortly after significant loading events, but you are best off giving them a little time to recover before you center punch them or tickle their sides.

Tomorrow will be our first sunny day with spring-like temperatures this week. Watch for wet loose slides on steep sunny slopes as the snow surface becomes damp or wet.