130 PM PST SUN MAR 2 2008 && ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS * OLYMPICS, WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST- Sunday: Decreasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 4-5000 feet and MODERATE below. Monday: Increasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 4-5000 feet and MODERATE below with a local HIGH danger above 4-5000 feet in the Olympics and north to central Cascades. * EAST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES- Sunday: Decreasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below. Monday: Increasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below. * MT HOOD AREA- Sunday: Decreasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below. Monday: Increasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below. SNOWPACK SYNOPSIS A period of mild fair weather and limited precipitation was seen much of the latter half of February. This generally caused snowpack consolidation and stabilizing, and helped form surface crusts in most areas. A front crossed the Northwest Friday and Saturday. This caused a period of strong west winds and snowfall with a cooling trend. Sites near and west of the crest accumulated about 8-20 inches of snowfall Friday and Saturday. Despite the cooling trend some local human triggered wind or soft slab avalanches of the new snow were seen in a couple areas on Saturday. Some of these slabs were to the late February crust and some were within the new snow layers. A report on the FOAC web site indicated some human soft or wind slabs and a dog triggered slab at Stevens Pass. Similar soft slab conditions were reported on lee slopes at higher elevations by the Stevens and Crystal ski patrols. This was in new snow layers mainly on lee slopes at higher elevations near ridges. No signs of instability were reported on the Turns All Year web site. SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT Decreasing winds are expected Sunday with some sun by Sunday afternoon. Overall this should allow new snow layers to continue to partly stabilize. Isolated recent wind or soft slab layers may linger on steep lee slopes at higher elevations. However a local increased avalanche danger should also be seen due to wet surface snow on steep slopes exposed to the sun. Back country travelers should continue to use caution near avalanche terrain. Further partial stabilizing should be seen Sunday night. MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT A front should cross the Northwest on Monday. This should cause increasing south and west winds and increasing moderate to heavy rain or snow especially in the Olympics and north to central Cascades. This should build new potential wind or soft slab layers. This should be mainly on north to east slopes at higher elevations especially in the Olympics and north to central Cascades. This should result in an increasing avalanche danger on Monday especially in the Olympics and north to central Cascades. Back country travelers should use increasing caution Monday and avoid travel near avalanche terrain in the Olympics and north to central Cascades. These conditions should persist into Monday night. &&