800 AM PDT MON DEC 10 2007
 
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ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS

* OLYMPICS, WASHINGTON CASCADES, MT HOOD AREA-
Moderate avalanche danger above 5000 feet and low below 
Monday through Tuesday night.


SNOWPACK ANALYSIS
In most areas relatively small amounts of recently 
received snow or surface hoar overly the refrozen old 
snowpack that was saturated during the heavy rain event a 
week ago. As of early Monday morning most areas received 
an additional trace to 2 inches of new snow that fell 
with light winds. Most areas now have between 2 to 6 
inches of recent snow above the crust ranging up to about 
6 to 10 inches in the MT Baker and Mt Hood areas where 
the greatest snow overlies the crust. 

Some localized pockets of small wind slabs may have 
developed over the crust during the past few days 
maintaining some areas of unstable snow and a moderate 
danger above 5000 feet. Although these areas would be 
considered localized, the main emphasis on the danger 
should be near ridges on mainly southeasterly to 
southwesterly facing slopes at higher elevations. 
Elsewhere the soft shallow amounts of recent snow 
overlying the hard crust are maintaining mostly stable 
snow and a low danger. 

The cold recent weather is beginning to facet and weaken 
the near surface crust as well as decomposing the old 
previously wet snowpack through destructive metamorphism. 
While this is currently not affecting the snowpack 
stability, it may become a factor when additional snow 
loading occurs. There have also been recent reports of 
small surface hoar development over the past few nights 
and this may also become a significant weak layer if 
buried by snowfall and subsequently loaded by the next 
significant storm snow now expected to develop late in 
the week. 

DETAILED FORECASTS

MONDAY, MONDAY NIGHT, TUESDAY, TUESDAY NIGHT
A few light snow showers ending Monday morning in the 
passes with most other areas becoming mostly sunny. Cool 
weather with light winds is expected later Monday through 
Monday night. Increasing high clouds are expected Tuesday 
and becoming gradually warmer. This should not 
appreciably change the overall danger as some pockets of 
unstable snow persist at higher elevations on some lee 
slopes near ridges with mostly stable shallow amounts of 
soft snow over a firm crust elsewhere. 

It should be noted that this weather should allow for 
further surface hoar formation as well as continued 
faceting and weakening of the crust region and the bond 
of recent snow to the old decomposing crust surface. 
These may be important factors when future heavier snow 
loading occurs.


At lower elevations, the combination of light winds, a 
very shallow and in places patchy snow cover, and 
significant terrain and vegetative anchoring should all 
help to maintain a generally low danger and stable 
snowpack structure. 

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