Colorado Avalanche Information Center

Public Forecast of Weather and Backcountry Avalanche Conditions

This is Scott at the CAIC with current information on mountain
weather, snow, and avalanche conditions recorded at 6:45 am, Saturday,
February 6, 1999.

SYNOPSIS

Some clouds and Snow showers hanging in over the Continental Divide in
Northern & Southern Mountains early this AM. These will be dissipating
(especially North) during the day as subsidence and warm temps move
into the mountains. As weak trough moves out of southern Colorado
today and our flow will become more westerly and winds, especially
along the CD, will increase tonite into Sunday. System currently over
Utah appears to be drying out and shearing apart as it rides up and
over ridge of High pressure over Western CO, but still a chance of
some scattered showers for all mountains the next few days as plenty
of moisture is moving Eastward out of the Pacific. This weak ridge
remains over the western part of CO through the weekend so showers are
about the best we can do as far as precip. Today should be a pretty
good day for the mens downhill at Beaver Creek. The forecast details:

WEATHER

Saturday: N&C Mtns, mostly cloudy early to Partly cloudy afternoon,
snow showers, 0-1". S mtns lite snow to snow showers, 1-3". Winds
W/5-15 G20. These winds will increase during the day. Highs 14-24.

Saturday Nite: Partly to mostly cloudy, few showers 0-2", Winds
increase, West 20-30 above TL, Gs near 70 along the CD. S mtns WNW
15-25, Gs 40-50. Lows 10-20.

Sunday: Partly cloudy, few showers mostly in S&C mtns, 0-1". Winds N&C
mtns W 15-25, Gs 40s, S mtns 5-15 from the West. Temps 25-35.

Sunday Nite: Mostly cloudy, Winds W 15-25 N&C mtns, 5-15 S mtns. Temps
20-30.

SNOWPACK

The backcountry avalanche danger in the N Mtns at overall MODERATE but
with pockets of CONSIDERABLE near & above timberline on N-E aspects
that are 35 degrees or steeper. In the C Mtns overall MODERATE. For
the S Mtns the danger is MODERATE with areas of CONSIDERABLE near and
above timberline in lee areas facing N-E. Wind during the recent past
has done quite a bit of damage on the windward side of the ranges, and
warm temps Thursday have brought an almost isothermal snowpack on
Sunny exposures below 10,000ft in some of the N/C mountains areas.

We will update this forecast on Sunday morning....

Toepfer

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.