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Shelley Osterloh ReportingAll that heavy wet snow in the mountain is increasing the likelihood of avalanches tonight, and conditions are expected to get worse.
There were many natural avalanches today along the canyon walls and you can be sure crews will be busy blasting tonight. If you are going into the back country tomorrow or this weekend, beware.
The combination of winds and heavy wet snowfall has pushed avalanche danger to moderate and considerable in most ranges of the state.
Bruce Tremper, Avalanche Forecast Center: "We are at considerable avalanche danger today, meaning that human triggered avalanches are probable, meaning they are likely. And natural avalanches are possible. So its a very dangerous day today."
And Tremper says it's likely to get worse as the temperatures heat up and the snow gets even heavier on top of already hard frozen snow.
Bruce Tremper: "Got a slick bed surface to slide on, kind of like an inclined plate of glass. Then we got all this new snow that's sliding off of that. And tomorrow is going to warm up and turn wet and soggy, it's going to come down the mountain again."
Back country skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers need to use extreme caution.
Bruce Tremper: "So stay off of steep slopes and out from underneath steep slopes this weekend."
Avalanche experts say if you go in the back country, you need to remember your ABC's
- A - stands for check for avalanche information before you go.
- B- stands for beacons, shovels and probes.
- C- stands for consequences. Don't stand underneath slopes and watch out what's underneath you when you cross slopes.
And don't go out on the edge of a steep slope. It was less than a week ago that a snowboarder lost his life standing on the edge of steep hill.
