COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER
                                       
_We're the snow guys!_



Mountain Weather and Avalanche Report

Colorado Avalanche Information Center Public Forecast of
Weather and Backcountry Avalanche Conditions

This is Nick in the Avalanche Center at 1100 am, Tuesday, Mar 11, 1997.

SYNOPSIS:  A ridge of hi pressure is well established over the W'rn US, & that
will provide fair weather for the mtns for the next 48 hrs. The storm system in

the Gulf of AK is very slow moving. This will be pushing into the Pacific NW on

Wednesday & should creep into our region later Thurs & Friday. Until then keep
the sunscreen handy. The fcst details:

FORECAST:   Tues:  Mostly clear skies all mtns.  Winds, N Mtns WSW/10-20 g30, C
&S
Mtns SW/5-15.  Temp hi's N&C Mtns 32-42,  S Mtns 35-45 degrees & even warmer at
 the
lower elevs. Tues nite:  Clear-ptly cloudy. Winds N&C Mtns SW/15-25 g40, S Mtns

SW/10-20. Ovrnite lo's 16-26 deg. Wed: All mtns clear-ptly cloudy. Winds N&C Mt
ns
SW-WSW/10-20 g30 ovr the hier ridges. Temp hi's N&C Mtns 30-40, S Mtns 32-42.
Thur: Depending on storm timing, all mtns becoming mostly cloudy w/chance for s
wr's;
we'll keep you updated on this. Winds SW/10-20 g30's. Temp hi's in the upper 20
's
& 30's.

SNOWPACK:  The bkcntry avalanche danger is currently rated LOW below tmbrline i
n the
morning, MOD in the late aftn for the potential of small wet-snow releases. Abo
ve
tmbrline the danger is MOD, except in the E'rn San Juans around Wolf Ck Pass wh
ere
the danger is LOW abv tmbrline xcpt for the very steep slopes.  The concern:
1) shallow triggered releases in recently windloaded areas above tmbrline that
face
NE-SE;  and 2) shallow wet releases on steep terrain facing SE-SW that soak up
the
sun & heat by afternoon. Only a few avalanche events reported this morning that
 ran
sometime late on the 9th or 10th: 4 soft slab releases were spotted NW of Leadv
ille
on Galena Mtn. The fracture lines were only about 1 foot deep. These were well
above
tmbrline on E facing, wind-drifted lee slopes. Also, a few wet, point-releases
were
spotted on S'ly slopes yesterday. Ovrnite warm temps nr tmbrline, plus more war
m
temperatures today could enhance this problem but I think the events will be sm
all &
shallow because the snopk remains cold in the deeper layers.

We'll update this forecast on Wednesday morning. . . .