TODAY...RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS AROUND 38. SOUTHEAST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH
DECREASING TO 5 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT...RAIN. SNOW LEVEL 1400 FEET. LOWS AROUND 35. SOUTHEAST
WIND 10 TO 20 MPH.

MONDAY...RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. NO SNOW ACCUMULATION. SNOW LEVEL 700 FEET IN THE
MORNING. HIGHS AROUND 39. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH IN THE MORNING.

Plenty of snow in the start zones last night, with steady 30 - 40kt winds building on the windslab from the last couple days make for likely avalanche conditions as the stress on the snowpack continues to grow throughout the day with more wind and precipitation.

It is important to stay off the Flume trail today and out of Perserverance. Use caution when driving under the Thane Rd paths.

Fortunately most of the urban start zones did not have a particularly deep and uniform snow cover at the start of the this storm cycle, so the slides that come down are likely to be medium size with some large crowns in drifts and tapering off across the slopes.

We may see slides in the White, Berhends, and Cross Bay Paths but they are not likely to be large enough to reach structures.

Avalanche Danger is CONSIDERABLE today: Natural avalanches probable, potentially destructive avalanches may come near or reach developed areas. Human triggered avalanches likely.

Unstable slabs exist on steep terrain. Be increasingly cautious in or under steeper terrain and in avalanche zones. Monitor avalanche forecasts.

Backcountry travelers remember that this is an urban forecast hunting for larger size avalanches and that human triggered avalanches are quite likley on E-N-W slopes above 1500ft.

WIND IS THE ARCHITECT OF SNOW

Wind

The wind is known as the architect of snow because it creates deeper and shallower snowpacks, strange shapes, and even alters the the crystals themselves.

When it packs snow crystals tighter together giving them more cohesiveness across a slope we call this a windslab.

Over time drifts of freshly fallen snow are created over older ones. Thereby snow particles are crushed, conveyed and deposited in a variety of forms and shapes creating areas that are much deeper than just the falling snow would make.

Against the wind the hoar frost grows as also the tips of the sastrugi. Snow cornices in contrast grow in the wind direction, similar to the cometary tail, which looms behind obstacles. Dunes and wind craters are clear signs of wind activity. (see pic)

The direction of surface winds is dependent on the prevailing wind direction of the respective weather conditions, the wind force and the terrain relief.

Drift snow is found not only in lee areas close to the ridge from windward to leeward, but also in gullies and shallow basins by the wind blowing parallel to the slope. (see pic)