The National Weather Service Forecasts-

TODAY...CLOUDY. PERIODS OF SNOW INCREASING IN THE AFTERNOON.
SNOW ACCUMULATION UP TO 1 INCH. HIGHS AROUND 34. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH.

TONIGHT...BREEZY. SNOW CHANGING TO ALL RAIN IN THE EVENING. SNOW ACCUMULATION 1 TO 3 INCHES. SNOW LEVEL RISING TO 800 FEET IN THE EVENING. LOWS AROUND 32...WITH TEMPERATURES RISING THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOUTHEAST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH LATE.

THURSDAY...RAIN SHOWERS. HIGHS AROUND 38. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT...NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS. LOWS AROUND 35.
SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

Yesterdays near freezing temperatures and lack of precipitation gave the snowpack a little time to settle and bond.

There are still pockets of weakness in steep open areas, near ridgeline, summit, and in windloaded areas.

We have multiple weak layers in place yet most activity appears to be related to the new snows on the surface.

Yesterday Natural Avalanche Debris was sighted in the Berhands Ave Avalanche Path and on Thane Road. Some smaller natural releases pulled out during our snow event. Those slides showed all surface activity, no propagation (spreading wider) and no tearing down to the deeper weak layers.

This shows that weakness exists in the snowpack yet is a good sign that the danger might only be present at or near the surface thus limiting the size of the avalanches were they to happen. Slides could go deeper as well. But in general this is a good sign.

As we go into tomorrow and the next couple of days temperatures will again be rising.

We are expecting 1\" of moisture or more before Friday morning.

Depending on how this comes in we are possibly creating an upside down snowpack again.

The more of the new snow we get at cold temperatures before the warming, the more rapid the warming, the more intense the precipitation rate is during the warming, The Higher the danger levels will be and the larger the slides will be.

Danger levels are Considerable at this time look to see danger levels rising perhaps even higher.

Be Safe and Enjoy a Great Day!

On the day you actually go into the backcountry, begin gathering information as soon as you wake up.

Look outside. What did the weather do in town?

What do you think happened in the mountains?

Did the wind blow? Did it snow?

This information will help you begin your assessment of the avalanche hazard.

Continue your assessment by calling or logging onto your local avalanche advisory to get current weather and snow stability information.

Driving to the Trailhead-

Stay focused and watch for recent slide and wind activity as you drive to the trailhead.

Natural avalanche activity is a sure sign of instability. Note what aspect the slide occurred on, its slope angle and if you can, figure out the weak layer that failed.

Take note of all wind activity:

? Which direction is the wind coming from?
? Which slopes may be loaded?

Watch for wind activity off ridges and across the highway which indicate possible slab formation.

At the trailhead, make sure everyone has all the necessary equipment.

Account for beacons, probes, shovels, slope meters, and repair and first aid kits.

Discuss your plan for the day, but keep your mind open to alternatives if conditions dictate. Base these decisions on the data you gather as you travel.

Conduct a group beacon test.

?Wear your beacon under your jacket on your top layer of clothing, not in a pocket or in your pack.
?Test your partners' beacons by switching your beacon to receive on the lowest setting, and walk up to each person, checking for a signal.
?Or stand in the trail with your beacon on receive, and check signals as each person skis by.
?Do a quick beacon practice - put your beacon in your glove or plastic bag and hide it in the snow bank. Have a friend find it. You will be glad they practiced if they ever have to find you.

Use low risk travel techniques as soon as you leave the trailhead.

Getting to the area you want to ride or ski is part of the challenge of backcountry travel.

On your approach, use ridges and lower angle slopes. If you are traveling on a ridge, stay well back from cornices.

Heavily treed slopes work well also, but remember: if the trees are spaced wide enough to ski, and the slope is steep enough, then it can slide.
Measure slope angles frequently both on your approach and on your descent.

Most slab avalanches occur on slopes between 30? and 45?, with the prime angle between 35? and 40?. A slope meter is an inexpensive and indispensible tool for backcountry travel.

Actively gather stability information as you travel.
Frequently step out of the track and \"feel\" the snow under your skis or feet. This can give you an idea of what the upper layers are composed of.

Poke your pole into undisturbed snow and \"feel\" the layers in the snowpack. When you poke your pole in, do you feel harder snow on top of softer snow?

Is there a crust? Is the snowpack shallow or deep?

Be constantly alert and observant as you travel.
Imagine yourself as a wary cat keenly atuned to its environment. Consciously and deliberately gather stability information throughout your tour.

Watch for recent avalanche activity. It is a sure sign of instability.

Wind slabs are dangerous. A wind slab will often sound hollow or drumlike as you step on it. Wind pillows can look like a deep, sweet pile of powder. Either way, the structure of the snow pack is different in a wind-loaded area, and you need to examine this if you are going to cross or descend a wind affected area.

Cornices are the bombs of the back country.

Kicking and releasing soft small cornices can help test the surface stability of the slope below.

Use caution where you stand: cornices often break back further than you think.

Stay tuned for Tomorrow as we go through Digging Quick Snowpits, Observing the Weather, The decision making process, Evaluation Checklists, Low Angel Descents, If your caught in an Avalanche, If you Witness an Avalanche, and sharing your observations.