TODAY ... INCREASING CLOUDS. PATCHY FOG EARLY IN THE MORNING.
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS...MAINLY SOUTH OF JUNEAU. HIGHS AROUND 32. LIGHT WINDS.

TONIGHT ... MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS 20 TO 28. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 MPH.

THURSDAY ... MOSTLY CLOUDY. ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS. HIGHS AROUND
31. LIGHT WINDS BECOMING WEST 5 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

The snowpack has changed a lot in the last week. There are once again multiple layers and a growing snow load.

Yesterday the snowpack had a chance to settle a bit, 5 - 6cm at the Tram. There was no new snow, and the winds were light 10 to 15kts in the start zones, creating very little wind transport of snow.

Today there is only a potential for a half an inch of snow forecast for the next 24hs. The primary hazard due to natural releases is superficial sun sluffs on South and West Facing slopes.

While artificial triggers have become less frequent they are still possible. THERE WERE TWO SKIER TRIGGERED SLIDES YESTERDAY, one on Mt Jumbo. Skiers and Sledders should use caution in any places where they can still find loose dry snow just above the old thick Melt-Freeze crust.

STEPPING DOWN:

When multiple weak layers exist in the snowpack, often a smaller, shallower avalanche will travel a few feet to a few yards and the added weight and stress will trigger a deeper weak layer, which results in a much larger and more dangerous avalanche. These types of avalanches can be especially dangerous to people because the following scenario: First, the person who triggers the smaller avalanche will ride the first slide down. As the smaller avalanche descends, it triggers a deeper avalanche. By the time the deeper avalanche picks up speed and descends to the bottom, the victim has stopped at the bottom of the slope and the secondary, larger avalanche will pile debris on top of the victim, often burying them very deeply with no hope of a live recovery.

When you deal with a snowpack that has the potential to step down into deeper weak layers, it?s important to notch back your level of exposure because of the dangerous consequences.