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Forecast for the Skyline Area Mountains

Brett Kobernik
Issued by Brett Kobernik on
Friday morning, December 27, 2019
There is a MODERATE avalanche danger in the upper elevation terrain where east wind has been moving snow and forming drifts. It's possible that a person may trigger small avalanches today on steep slopes in these locations. If you avoid the large pillows of wind drifted snow, the avalanche danger is generally LOW.
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Weather and Snow
Snowpack review:
Temperatures were unseasonably warm last weekend. This was actually good for the snowpack in that it helped it to settle and consolidate more. It also halted the snow surface from turning into the sugary faceted grains that are not uncommon during long dry periods. There are some places where you can find weak sugary snow like in shallow locations. Overall, the snowpack is in good shape. It's very supportable and there are currently no significant weak layers. Snow started falling early Christmas morning bringing up to 9 inches of new snow by mid day. On Thursday, temperatures were cold with highs only in the teens. East wind picked up speed and was drifting snow in many locations.
Weather outlook:
The wind will again be from the east today but shouldn't be as strong as it was on Thursday. It will shift around to a more northerly direction late today and remain that direction through the weekend. Temperatures are going to remain cold through the weekend. There's a chance for light snow today and Saturday. It may bring a couple of inches but nothing too significant. The next storm is shaping up for about mid week next week.
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Avalanche Problem #1
Wind Drifted Snow
Type
Location
Likelihood
Size
Description
The east wind was moving the fresh powder and forming fresh drifts on Thursday. I did not notice whether these drifts were particularly sensitive. I was not in an area where I could test any to see if they would crack out easily. However, these fresh drifts are always the most sensitive when they are forming and directly afterward. Pay attention to these today especially in the higher terrain and avoid them on steep slopes.
Additional Information
SKYLINE AVALANCHES & OBSERVATIONS
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INSTAGRAM: SKYLINE_AVALANCHE
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This forecast is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This forecast describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.
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