900 AM PST MON DEC 31 2007 && ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS * OLYMPICS, WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST- Considerable avalanche danger below 7000 feet slightly decreasing Monday. Considerable avalanche danger below 7000 feet slightly increasing Tuesday. * EAST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES- Considerable avalanche danger above 4000 feet and moderate below slightly decreasing Monday. Considerable avalanche danger above 4000 feet and moderate below slightly increasing Tuesday. * MT HOOD AREA- Considerable avalanche danger below 7000 feet slightly decreasing Monday. Considerable avalanche danger below 7000 feet slightly increasing Tuesday. SNOWPACK ANALYSIS Strong west winds and heavy snow continued through the weekend. New snow for the 24 hours ending Monday morning ranges from about 6-18 inches at sites near and west of the crest. This brings snowfall totals since mid December to 10-15 feet at sites near and west of the crest! Plenty of new storm cycle soft slab and wind slab conditions should still be present on lee slopes Monday morning. This should be mainly on steeper north to southeast slopes at higher elevations. The ski areas reported extensive 6-12 inches avalanches in the recent snow on Sunday. Lots of wind effects such as deep drifting were also noted so the slab conditions are not a surprise. Some propagating cracks were reported the past couple days on the FOAC web site. Deep powder snow conditions were reported on sheltered lower angle slopes such as on the TAY web site for Saturday. Crust layers from about Christmas and early December are still reported deeper in the snow pack. Triggered avalanches in recent snow may still step to these layers. This is most likely at higher elevations on slopes that have previously avalanched or in response to heavier triggers such as snowmobiles. Remember that terrain features such as tree wells can be dangerous if you fall in and no one is available to help you out. So always travel with at least a nearby partner who can assist if necessary. MONDAY Winds should decrease and snow showers should end on Monday. This should give recent heavy snow amounts a chance to partly stabilize. Recent storm cycle soft and wind slab layers are most likely to linger on lee slopes at higher elevations. This should continue to be mainly north to southeast slopes at higher elevations. We recommend great caution, periodic stability evaluation, and safe back country travel routes on Monday. Partial stabilizing should continue Monday night. TUESDAY Increasing strong southeast ridge and mountain top winds are expected Tuesday and Tuesday night with a warming trend. This is likely to transport snow and build new potential denser wind slab layers on different lee slopes. This should especially be on steep west to north aspects near and west of the Cascade crest. Do not be lulled by the fair weather on Monday into thinking that the recent avalanche danger is over. We continue to recommend great caution and safe travel routes on Tuesday and Tuesday night especially in areas with new wind transported snow at higher elevations. &&