This is Dale at the CAIC with current information on mountain weather, snow, and avalanche conditions recorded at 6:45 am, Friday, January 22, 1999. NOTE: This page was modified at 1150 hrs to include more snow and avalanche information. DA SYNOPSIS This morning generally 3-6" of new snow reported in the past 24 hours from the Aspen, McClure Pass and Summit County areas. Vail reporting 9", Kebler Pass, 12" and Telluride, 14". This morning very weak NNWerly flow continues to fuel light snows favoring the N&C mtns. Flow starts backing toward the NW as weak ridge of high pressure creeps into CO. Winds aloft will increase this afternoon and could see gusty winds at mountain-top levels. On Saturday dirty ridging continues as moisture increases on SWerly flow. Only expect unsettled and much warmer weather for the weekend. The forecast details: WEATHER Friday: N mtns...cloudy, occasional light snow, decreasing this afternoon, T-2". C mtns...mostly cloudy, widely scattered snow showers, decreasing this afternoon, 0-2". S mtns...generally partly cloudy to mostly sunny, though widely scattered morning snow showers possible in N San Juans. Winds all mtns...very light this morning increasing this afternoon from the NW/10-20, G30s above treeline. Highs all mtns...8 to 18. Friday night: all mtns...partly cloudy, though N mtns...few lingering snow showers on high peaks. Winds NW-W/10-20 G30s. Lows 2 to +8. Saturday: all mtns...increasing clouds, scattered snow showers, 0-3". Winds W-SW/10-20, G40 by afternoon. Highs 19 to 29. Lows 10-20. Sunday: all mtns...mostly cloudy, scattered snow showers, 0-3". Winds W-SW/15-25 G45. Highs 22 to 32. SNOWPACK An Avalanche Warning (click on the warning link at the bottom of this page) remains in effect for the Elk & W Elk Mtns surrounding Aspen and the Crested Butte areas and also for the W San Juans for the areas surrounding Ouray, Telluride, Red Mtn Pass and Silverton. The backcountry avalanche danger in the Elks is rated an overall HIGH. Unstable slabs are likely on a variety of aspects and elevations. The threat for natural avalanches is easing, however, human triggered avalanches are likely. Today backcountry travel in the Elks and W San Juans is not recommended. Youll be much safer enjoying the new powder at your local ski area. As the threat of natural events lessens you may head into the backcountry, but youll need to be extra cautious. Increasing winds and blowing snow on Sunday, may trigger another round of natural releases from fresh wind-loaded slopes and gullies. In the past 4 days 342 avalanches have been reported from the warning areas. I expect to hear of many more slides today as skies are clearing over the C&S mtns. Observers from the warning areas report widespread avalanching on all aspects and elevations. They also report widespread collapsing, whumpfing and shooting cracks from ski pressure. Backcountry travelers should avoid slopes 30 degrees and steeper and stay out from beneath steep terrain. When a thick new slab is supported by a fragile base of faceted, sugar snow it is easy to trigger avalanches from the bottom of a slope. In the rest of the C mtns and for the N mtns the backcountry danger is rated CONSIDERABLE near and above treeline for slopes 35 degrees and steeper, on less-steep terrain and well below treeline the danger is MODERATE. Triggered releases by backcountry travelers are probable on steeper terrain. This morning observers in the Monarch Pass area report 5 fresh soft-slab avalanches that failed at the ground. They occurred generally from NE-E aspects. In the E San Juans the backcountry avalanche danger is rated an overall MODERATE, but CONSIDERABLE on N-E-SE-S aspects, 35 degrees and steeper. On Nerly aspects the instability/weak layer is buried surface hoar under the new snow. On the S aspects strong Nerly winds on Thursday drifted snow on steep Serly facing slopes and gullies. This morning 3 medium-sized soft slabs were spotted near Wolf Creek Pass on higher elevation, Serly facing slopes. One medium-sized slab was also spotted on a steep N-facing chute below treeline. Backcountry travelers venturing to mountains outside of the avalanche warning areas, need to use extra caution. Warming temperatures this weekend will help to stabilize the surface snow layers, but deep instabilities will haunt the snowpack for well into the future. Also increasing winds and blowing snow on Sunday may trigger a round of natural releases from steep, fresh wind-loaded slopes and gullies. In the past two days the greatest amounts of snow fell in the W San Juan mountains: the Telluride/Red Mountain Pass area got 30". Since the 17th all mountain areas have received abundant snows. The following is a list of this weeks snowfall totals from selected sites. site snowfall (inches) from 1/17 to 1/22 Gothic 61.5 Irwin (Kebler Pass) 54.5 Crested Butte 47 Steamboat 45 Monarch Pass 43 Breckenridge 40 Telluride 38 Berthoud Pass 33.5 Vail & Aspen Mountain 32 Wolf Creek Pass 23.5 We will update this forecast on Saturday morning.... Atkins As always, the snow conditions weve reported are based on observations and field data. Use this information for guidance only. You may find different conditions in the backcountry and should travel accordingly.