915 AM PST WED MAR 5 2008...corrected && ZONE AVALANCHE FORECASTS * OLYMPICS- WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST- corrected Wednesday: CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 5-6000 feet and MODERATE below with a locally increasing danger on sun exposed slopes during the late morning and afternoon. Decreasing avalanche danger Wednesday night. Thursday: MODERATE avalanche danger below 7000 feet becoming locally CONSIDERABLE on steep sun exposed slopes during the late morning and afternoon. Decreasing avalanche danger Thursday night. * EAST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES- Wednesday and Thursday: MODERATE avalanche danger below 7000 feet with a locally CONSIDERABLE danger developing on sun exposed terrain during the late morning and afternoon hours and decreasing danger nights. * MT HOOD AREA- corrected Wednesday: CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 6000 feet and MODERATE below with a locally increasing danger on sun exposed slopes during the late morning and afternoon. Decreasing avalanche danger Wednesday night. Thursday: MODERATE avalanche danger below 7000 feet becoming locally CONSIDERABLE on steep sun exposed slopes during the late morning and afternoon. Decreasing avalanche danger Thursday night. SNOWPACK ANALYSIS Little or no new snow was received since Tuesday morning. A front and additional showers Monday through early Tuesday deposited 6 to 12 inches of new snow over most west slope Cascade areas and Mt Hood with 1 to 3 inches over the east slopes. A previous front last Friday and through early Saturday deposited some 4 to 8 inches of snow. Below the recent 1 to 2 feet of snow the snowpack is generally well settled and stable with strong crust layers formed during the mild and dry weather experienced the last two weeks of February. The initial new snow received last Friday fell at cooling temperatures with rain changing to snow at mid and lower elevations causing a generally good bond to the old crust surface. However a poorer bond can be expected at elevations above about 6000 feet. On north aspects at higher elevations previous near surface faceted snow or recrystalized old powder snow may have provided a weak layer interface below the recent snowfall. Also, on some shaded terrain and lower elevations surface hoar may have been buried late last week where not destroyed by earlier strong northerly winds. The most recent snow that fell late Monday through early Tuesday morning was affected by very strong southwest to northwest crest level winds. This built some sensitive wind slabs on a variety of aspects as of early Tuesday, mainly above 4 to 5000 feet. Several ski triggered soft slab avalanches ranging from 1 up to 2 feet with good propagation were reported in the Alpental area from both ski and explosive control. A skier in the Alpental backcountry had a close call Tuesday afternoon as he triggered a slide that carried him over a cliff band then subsequently triggered a slab on the slope below. He was partly to fully buried but managed to self rescue, a close call indeed. These unstable wind deposited layers on steep lee slopes should be slowly settling, however caution is advised. Therefore the greatest current danger is expected from triggered slab avalanches on steeper terrain above about 5 to 6000 feet and mainly on northeast to southeast facing slopes. Shifting winds may have built unstable layers on a variety of aspects and backcountry travelers are urged to take extra caution in avalanche terrain until these layers can stabilize. The new snow remains susceptible to the destabilizing affects of sunshine and warming. Backcountry travelers should be extra cautious on sun exposed terrain over the next few days. DETAILED FORECASTS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT Mostly sunny with light winds and cool morning temperatures should allow for a further slow decrease in danger early Wednesday as previously formed unstable layers slowly settle. Warming and sunshine later Wednesday should lead to an increasing danger, especially on steeper sun exposed terrain where some natural or triggered wet snow avalanches and possible slab avalanches should be possible or probable. The recent snow or any cornice formations since late last week can quickly become unstable when affected by the stronger late winter sunshine and warming. Triggered soft slab avalanches have been seen as of Tuesday and these layers should gradually stabilize however local stability conditions should be continually assessed. THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT Mostly sunny and very warm daytime temperatures should again allow for surface snow melt and weakening on sun exposed terrain. An increasing danger is expected during the late morning and afternoon hours on most steep slopes facing the sun, especially those areas that have received the greatest new snowfall amounts. The warming and additional time should however allow previously formed unstable wind deposited layers to consolidate and stabilize. &&