900 AM PST WED JAN 9 2008 && ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS * MT HOOD AREA- ...AVALANCHE WARNING... High avalanche danger above about 5000 feet and considerable below Wednesday and Wednesday night. Avalanche danger increasing Thursday morning becoming high below 7000 feet with natural or triggered avalanches likely. High danger below 7000 feet later Thursday through Thursday night. * OLYMPICS, WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST- High avalanche danger above about 5-6000 feet and considerable below Wednesday. Avalanche danger gradually increasing Wednesday night becoming high above 5000 feet and considerable below. Further increasing danger Thursday becoming high below 7000 feet with widespread natural avalanches becoming likely. * WASHINGTON CASCADES EAST OF THE CREST- Considerable avalanche danger above 4 to 5000 feet and moderate below Wednesday and Wednesday night. Avalanche danger increasing Thursday becoming high above 5000 feet and considerable below. SNOWPACK ANALYSIS Additional new snow over the past 24 hours ranged along the west slope areas from 6 to 12 inches in most areas with Mt Rainier receiving about 18 inches and Mt Hood receiving 24 inches! This most recent snow came with warming temperatures and strong winds Tuesday morning. This caused to a significantly increased danger with numerous natural or triggered sensitive slides reported Tuesday. These slides were a result of the earlier 4 to 6 inches of low density snow received Monday acting as a weak layer. The denser snow or shallow wind slabs were sensitive to ski triggers Tuesday with widespread 6 to 12 inch soft slab releases common. Significant cooling occurred overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday along with additional new lower density snow layers. This has allowed for a slight decrease in danger. While some settlement has occurred within these weak low density layers in the upper snowpack, it is still likely that a skier, snowboarder, snowshoer or snowmobiler would trigger a slab on a steep slope, especially near ridges and on lee north through east to southeast facing slopes at higher elevations. This recent very stormy period has deposited some 2.5 to 6 feet of new snow over the Olympics and Cascades in the past week. Many weak layers remain in the upper part of the snow pack as little time has allowed for much settlement and stabilization. Backcountry travelers should continue to use a great deal of caution and avoid any steep open slopes of unknown stability, especially slopes at higher elevations, near ridges and slopes receiving wind deposited snow. The greatest current likelihood for triggered slides remains within the most recently received layers in the upper snow pack. However, multiple weak layers exist due to fluctuations in temperatures and wind speeds during storms over the past week making some deeper slides possible. There remains concern for the weak snow layers that still exist above the prominent crust layers in the deeper snowpack, formed near Christmas and the more widespread crust formed in early December. Backcountry travelers are urged to perform stability tests and avoid slopes in question, a wrong decision could prove deadly. WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT Decreasing light to moderate snow showers early Wednesday with diminishing winds. Further decreasing winds and partial clearing expected later Wednesday. This should allow for slow settlement of recent unstable layers and a gradual decrease in danger. However, at higher elevations and near ridges, unstable layers should remain likely and therefore travelers are urged to use extra caution Wednesday. Increasing rain or snow late Wednesday night at gradual warming should again lead to an increasing danger by early Thursday. THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT Moderate to heavy rain or snow at warming temperatures and very strong crest level winds early Thursday. This should cause a significant increase in the danger early Thursday as new heavy dense and wet snow or rain loads numerous existing weak layers of snow deposited earlier this week. Natural or triggered slides should become likely Thursday and this should cause a high danger below 7000 feet. Continued moderate to heavy rain or snow showers later Thursday and Thursday night should maintain mostly unstable snow and a high danger. &&