The National Weather Service Forecasts-

TODAY...RAIN SHOWERS AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING THEN RAIN
SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATION 1 INCH OR LESS. SNOW LEVEL INCREASING TO 900 FEET IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS AROUND 38. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT...RAIN SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...THEN SNOW SHOWERS LATE. SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 1 INCH. SNOW LEVEL 600 FEET IN THE EVENING. LOWS AROUND 25. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 MPH.

FRIDAY...SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING THEN CLEARING. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. HIGHS AROUND 30. NORTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT...CLEAR...BREEZY...COLDER. LOWS AROUND 20. NORTHEAST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH.

With slightly cooler temperatures today and a diminished precipitation rate the avalanche danger is Considerable at this time.

Natural Avalanche Are still Possible, and Human Triggered Avalanches are still likely in places. But danger levels are lowering.

We have seen quite a bit of rain, warm temperatures, snowpack settlement and consolidation. Long term this will help to solidify and stabilize the snowpack.

Most of the moisture received at lower elevations has come in as rain. The snowpack on the lower mountain is wet and isothermal at 0 degrees.

In steep unanchored areas slides are still possible until temps drop back down below freezing. If slides were to occur then could entrain quite a bit of mass and clean out the snow all the way down to the earths surface.

On the upper mountains we have still been seeing a little new snow. Approx. 4\" in the last 24 hours from 1800' up and possibly more at higher elevations as some of the rain at 1800 may have been received as snow. This has come in quite wet and will bond fairly well.

Do to wind loading in the last 72 hours some deeper windloaded areas of instability may exist at higher elevations near summit and still need a little time to settle and bond. But most of this snow has come in so wet it simply pasted into the mountainside and densities are high.

Be aware much of the snowpack is still isothermal and wet at this time. If any new snow avalanches were to start up high they could propagate down into the deeper wet layers in place until they freeze back up.

With a great deal of the lower elevation snows wet and at the freezing point if slides were to release they could entrain quite a bit of mass as they got down lower in the glide track.

Time is our friend at this point.

Temperatures are expected to fall across the region and will continue to fall into tomorrow and Saturday. The forecast for today is to have a freezing level of about 900' and yet currently it is hovering above 1800'.

The snowpack at near freezing has settled and bonded quite a bit but with temperatures above freezing still down low we have removed quite a bit of the glue holding the snowpack together.

As temperatures begin to fall the glue will return and the snowpack will start to turn into a large consolidated block of ice.

If you are heading out into the backcountry in the next 24 hours please use caution as conditions are quite variable at different elevations.

This week natural avalanches were sighted throughout the region from Snettisham to Kensington. Those conditions still exist today although loading rates and winds have diminished.

AVALANCHE COMPANION RESCUE

Skills Workshop Series
Sponsored by
Eaglecrest Ski Area
Juneau Mountain Rescue
Southeast Alaska Avalanche Center

Saturdays in January from 1-3:30 PM

Meet at the Eaglecrest Avalanche Beacon Training Park

Saturday January 8th - Avalanche Transceivers, Single Search

Saturday January 15th- Multiple Avalanche Transceiver Searching

Saturday January 22nd- Strategic Shoveling

Saturday January 30th - Companion Rescue Overview- Live Recovery Exercise