The National Weather Service Forecasts- TODAY, MOSTLY CLOUDY. ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING, THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. BECOMING BREEZY. HIGHS AROUND 39. EAST WIND 15 MPH INCREASING TO 25 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

TONIGHT...RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN AND SNOW LATE. BREEZY. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 2 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 600 FEET IN THE EVENING. LOWS AROUND 33. EAST WIND 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 100 PERCENT.

SUNDAY...RAIN AND SNOW IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE
AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 2 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL 400 FEET IN THE MORNING. HIGHS AROUND 41. EAST WIND 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 90 PERCENT.

Yesterdays feild results showed changing condition in the last 48 hours.

Thursday temperatures got up to freezing and above in areas do to radiant heat with breif periods of sun in the morning. Late Thursday we received several inches of snow with moderate wind loading. Yesterday we received even greater amounts of snow and wind loading.

Yesterdays field tests on Douglas Island near Eaglecrest as well as on showboat ridge showed this new snow was easily triggered on the melt formed layer from Thursday.

Continued tests showed multiple weak layers. As the upper weak layer was triggered in tests quite often the failure propagated down to deeper layers of instability.

Compression tests failed easily(3 test- on isolation, while cutting the back, and a CT3) with high quality shears (Q1) at 30cm and Extended Column Tests showed relatively easy failures (ECT 14) with propagation and moderate quality shears at 65cm.

There are still multiple weak layers deeper in the pack that remain questionable as well.

With yesterdays heavy snowfall and windloading rates, accompanied by a 5 degree temperature rise along the channel in the last 12 hours and with additional moisture in the forecast danger is Considerable at this time.

Spatial variability remains high as we have seen quite a bit of wind in the last 10 days. There is great difference in snow density and deposition between windard, cross loaded, and leeward slopes.

Areas in the backcountry are still quite hazardous at this time.

Please use caution and choose your lines and routes wisely.

Remember. Tranceiver, Probe, Shovel, Partner. Don't leave home without them!

For those interested there may still be seats available for the University of Alaska Southeasts Avalanche Level 1 Course.

Avalanche Evaluation and Theory Level 1
University of Alaska Southeast
March 23 - April 4

An intensive course of avalanche study covering rescue, terrain analysis, snow study and stability evaluation, route finding, decision making, and safe travel. Combines both in-class and field oriented backcountry experience as required course components. For more information, contact University of Alaska Southeast.

http://www.uas.alaska.edu/humanities/programs/ods/courses.html