The National Weather Service Forecasts-

TODAY...NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS. TEMPERATURES AROUND 43 IN THE
MORNING...THEN SLOWLY FALLING THROUGH THE DAY. SOUTHEAST WIND
10 TO 20 MPH.

TONIGHT...RAIN SHOWERS. LOWS AROUND 37. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 MPH.

FRIDAY...NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS. HIGHS AROUND 39. SOUTHEAST
WIND 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. PATCHY FOG. SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS AROUND 32. LIGHT WINDS.

SATURDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING. ISOLATED
RAIN SHOWERS. HIGHS AROUND 36. LIGHT WINDS.

Temperatures remain quite warm around the region. The tram dropped a little back down to 36f. Eaglecrest is holding 32f on top. 35 at mid mountain and 38 at the bottom.

Winds remain quite strong out of SE> The tram has been continuously over 20-25. Eaglecrest has been a bit higher blowing 30 gusting 45+.

We also received a fair amount of rain again yesterday with Eaglecrest showing 25mm (1\") and the tram received 33m. During this period of warm rain and wind we lost another 5cm of snow at tram summit and 7cm at Eaglecrest mid mountain.

The snowpack is mostly isothermal at this point. Steep open unsupported faces are cleaning themselves off as the snow slabs get rotten and/or undercut from the runoff.

Be aware that avalanche danger is Moderate to Considerable as natural avalanches remain possible as do human triggered avalanches.

Over the next 24 to 48 hours avalanche danger will decrease as temperatures start to fall around the region again. Today we should see about another 3/4\" of precipitation but tomorrow that rate will fall to less than 1/2 of that.

As temps cool off and precip dries out a little the snowpack will start to lock back up increasing stability.

Wet Slab

Release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very destructive.

Avoid terrain where and when you suspect Wet Slab avalanche activity. Give yourself a wide safety buffer to handle the uncertainty.

How they form

Liquid water, from snowmelt or rain-on-snow, moves through the layers of the snowpack at different rates. Wet Slab avalanches happen when a weak layer or interface becomes moist, wet, or saturated. The wet snow loses strength, and the snow above fails and avalanches. Wet Slabs fail because of a decrease in layer strength, compared to dry avalanches that often fail because of an increase in load.

Where they are

Wet Slabs often occur first at lower elevations and areas with a shallower snowpack. Facets and depth hoar layers are especially weak when wetted. After several nights of above-freezing temperatures, wet slabs can occur on many aspects.

Timing

In most climates, Wet Slabs are spring-time events. This is when temperatures are warm and snowmelt produces sufficient free water to lubricate the snowpack. Earlier in the spring, the avalanche pattern can be cyclical, occurring in the afternoon or evening hours as melt-water accumulates, and decreasing in the morning as the snowpack cools. Later in the spring, extended periods of above-freezing weather contribute to the problem. The cyclical pattern decreases and it is possible for wet slab activity to occur at any time. In Colorado, one of the indicators of Wet Slab avalanches is two or three nights where temperatures do not drop below freezing.

Recognition

Snowballing, pinwheels, and small Wet Slabs indicate the potential for larger Wet Slabs. Recent Wet Slab avalanches indicate the type of terrain another cycle will occur on, if similar conditions recur. Temperature data from remote weather stations can be useful to monitor overnight temperatures, watching for the periods of little or no overnight freeze.

Wet Slab avalanche

A Wet Slab avalanche. In this avalanche, the meltwater pooled above a dusty layer of snow. Note all the smaller wet loose avalanches to either side.

Treatment and Avoidance

In many cases, snow conditions are poor when Wet Slabs are a significant problem. Most people leave the mountains or find places with firmer, less slushy snow and away from the slopes where Wet Slabs are a problem. Recognizing the weather factors that lead to Wet Slabs will help you avoid them. When solar radiation is a primary factor, carefully selecting and moving aspects through the day can be effective. Avoid terrain where and when you suspect Wet Slab avalanches. Give yourself a wide safety buffer to handle the uncertainty