TODAY...PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING. SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS IN THE
MORNING...THEN SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATION TO 1 INCH. HIGHS AROUND 37. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS
AROUND 30. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH.

MONDAY...NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATION TO 1 INCH. HIGHS AROUND 36. NORTHEAST WIND 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

The wind was transporting a lot of snow yesterday but dropped off about 4 o'clock when the snow ended. Mt Roberts got 13mm SWE or about 14cm of snow, with Mt Juneau getting closer to 20cm of snow. This has settled overnight. Pockets of instability remain up high in the form of wind slabs but they are unlikely to trigger naturally today.

Two small troughs are likely to pass through today and tonight bringing snow showers with them but precip amounts are going to be small. While the winds yesterday definitely created wind loaded pockets the steady temps and settlement have added strength to them and natural avalanches are unlikely, though human triggered avalanches remain a definite possibility. If we do get some patches of blue this afternoon be aware of solar heating on wind loaded slopes.

Though large slides are not expected it is still a good idea to stay off the flume trail today and tomorrow as their southerly aspect will get the most warming and even smaller slides can be funneled down the creek beds with destructive force.

Avalanche Danger is MODERATE today: Natural avalanches unlikely, potentially destructive avalanches unlikely to come near or reach developed areas. Human triggered avalanches possible. Unstable slabs probable on wind loaded terrain. In Urban Zones normal caution is advised.

Backcountry Travel is generally safe. Normal caution is advised with particular attention to wind affected slopes, and ridgetops facing North.

SETTLEMENT AND SINTERING:

A newborn, snowflake that falls out of the sky doesn't stay that way for long. As soon as it lands on the old snow surface it begins a rapid process of change.

Just like people, as a snowflake ages, its beautiful, angular shape becomes progressively more rounded through time and it forms bonds with its neighbors. In people, it's called growing up; in the snowpack it's called \"sintering\"--forming bonds with neighboring crystals to create the fabric of the snowpack.

As sintering progresses, the snow becomes denser and stronger, which we call \"settlement.\" Sometimes you will hear people incorrectly use the term settlement to describe the catastrophic collapse of a snowpack that often makes a giant \"whoomph\" sound, as in, \"Hey, did you hear that settlement? Maybe we should get out of here.\" Instead, we call these collapses or \"whoomphing\", which, believe it or not, is actually the technical term for a collapsing snowpack. It sounds funny but it's a great description.

Settlement is the SLOW deformation of the snow as it densifies and sags under the influence of gravity.

New, fluffy snow settles relatively quickly, within minutes to hours and it settles much more quickly at warm temperatures than in cold temperatures. We often think of settlement within the new snow as a sign of stability (at least within the new snow) because it means that the new snow is rapidly becoming stronger. When new snow settles, it can form \"settlement cones\" around trees and bushes where the snow bonds to the bush which props up the snow, like a circus tent.