900 AM PST MON MAR 3 2008 && ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS * OLYMPICS, WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST- 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. Tuesday: CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 4-5000 feet mainly north to central Cascades and MODERATE below. * EAST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES- Monday: Increasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below. Tuesday: CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet mainly north to central part and MODERATE below. * MT HOOD AREA- Monday: Increasing CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below. Tuesday: CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below. SNOWPACK ANALYSIS A period of mild fair weather and limited precipitation was seen much of the latter half of February. This generally caused consolidation and stabilizing of the older snowpack, and helped form surface crusts in most areas. Then a front crossed the Northwest last 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. Some human triggered soft or wind slab avalanches and one dog triggered soft or wind slab avalanche was seen Saturday. Some of these avalanches were to the late February crust and some were within the new snow layers. New layers from Friday and Saturday should have mostly stabilized by Sunday. Several reports of good powder skiing and mostly stable conditions on Sunday are recorded on the Turns All Year web site. Some snow pack whumphing was reported on a steeper likely north facing slopes in the Tatoosh Range near Mt Rainier. The Mt Hood Meadows ski patrol also reported one 1-3 foot natural slab avalanche on an east facing slope at about 7600 feet. MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT A front should cross the Northwest on Monday. This should cause increasing southwest and west crest level winds and increasing moderate to heavy snow especially in the Olympics and north to central Cascades. This should build new potential wind or soft slab layers on lee slopes. 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. TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT Northwest crest level winds should decrease and light snow showers mainly near and west of the crest should end on Tuesday morning. Partly or mostly sunny conditions should be seen by Tuesday afternoon and evening. New storm cycle wind or soft slab layers may linger mainly on lee slopes. This should continue to be mainly steeper north to east slopes at higher elevations especially in the Olympics or north to central Cascades where snowfall should be heaviest. Also watch for sun effects on the new snow Tuesday. Natural or human triggered damp or wet snow should be most likely steep slopes facing the sun by Tuesday afternoon. Remember that surface snowballing is often a precursor to loose snow avalanches. Some partial stabilizing should be seen in fair weather and cool temperatures Tuesday night. &&