Northern Mountains

This is Scott in the Avalanche Center at 2:00 pm, Saturday, January
18, 2003.
DISCUSSION
Strong winds once again ripping across the Front Range & Continental
Divide. These should taper off slightly late today, but recharge
around midnight tonight into tomorrow morning as the pressure gradient
tightens up. These winds have not been as bad along the western slope.
A weak blip in the flow is expected across the N mtns tonight, but if
anything just a trace along the higher ridges & peaks. There is a
closed low off the S CA coast that will move onshore & open up on
Monday. It really looks to weaken by the time it gets to CO on
Tuesday, so holding little hope for this as a precip producer. The
forecast details:
Northern Mountains
Saturday night: Increasing aftn clouds into tonight, 0-1 overnight.
Winds NW/20-30, Gs 40-50. Lows 12-17
Sunday: Clear. Winds NW 15-25, Gs 40-50. Highs 22-27. Lows 15-20.
Colder vallies
Monday: Increasing high clouds. Winds SW 10-20, Highs 22-27
SNOWPACK
Many of the fetches have been scoured, so little left to transport.
And with the dry atmosphere much is sublimated off to the plains. Only
3 new slides today, one explosive triggered in Summit County on an ENE
aspect above TL. This slide started with a shallow fracture but about
½ way down stepped about to ground as the leading edge of debris moved
into the compression zone. This area had about 10 previous shots this
season. Temps still cool so little settlement and stabalization in our
upper snowpack, which still has a weak base.
The backcountry avalanche danger for the N mtns: CONSIDERABLE on N-S
aspects near and above treeline; MODERATE on other aspects. Below
treeline the danger is MODERATE with pockets of CONSIDERABLE on same
N-SE aspects. Toepfer

Central Mountains

This is Scott in the Avalanche Center at 2:00 pm, Saturday, January
18, 2003.
DISCUSSION
Strong winds once again ripping across the Front Range & Continental
Divide. These should taper off slightly late today, but recharge
around midnight tonight into tomorrow morning as the pressure gradient
tightens up. These winds have not been as bad along the western slope.
A weak blip in the flow is expected across the N mtns tonight, but if
anything just a trace along the higher ridges & peaks. There is a
closed low off the S CA coast that will move onshore & open up on
Monday. It really looks to weaken by the time it gets to CO on
Tuesday, so holding little hope for this as a precip producer. The
forecast details:
Grand Mesa
Saturday night: Partly cloudy. Winds N-NW/5-15. Lows 8-18
Sunday: Clear. Winds 5-10. Highs 25-35 Lows 15-23
Monday: Increasing high clouds. Winds W 5-10. Highs 25-35
Central Mountains
Saturday night: Partly cloudy. Winds NW/15-25 G40-50s. Lows 12-22
Sunday: Clear. Winds W 10-20, Highs 22-32. Lows 12-22.
Monday: Increasing clouds. Winds W 5-15. Highs 22-32
SNOWPACK
Many of the fetches have been scoured, so little left to transport.
And with the dry atmosphere much is sublimated off to the plains. Only
3 new slides today, one explosive triggered in Summit County on an ENE
aspect above TL. This slide started with a shallow fracture but about
½ way down stepped about to ground as the leading edge of debris moved
into the compression zone. This area had about 10 previous shots this
season.
C mtns CONSIDERABLE on E-S aspects, near and above treeline, All other
aspects MODERATE with pockets of CONSIDERABLE on slopes 35 degrees and
steeper, especially near and above treeline, all aspects. Toepfer

Southern Mountains

This is Scott in the Avalanche Center at 2:00 pm, Saturday, January
18, 2003.
DISCUSSION
Strong winds once again ripping across the Front Range & Continental
Divide. These should taper off slightly late today, but recharge
around midnight tonight into tomorrow morning as the pressure gradient
tightens up. These winds have not been as bad along the western slope.
A weak blip in the flow is expected across the N mtns tonight, but if
anything just a trace along the higher ridges & peaks. There is a
closed low off the S CA coast that will move onshore & open up on
Monday. It really looks to weaken by the time it gets to CO on
Tuesday, so holding little hope for this as a precip producer. The
forecast details:
West San Juans
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Winds NW/10-20 G30s. Lows 8-18
Sunday: Clear. Winds NW 5-15. 5-15, Gs 20s. Highs 22-32. Lows 12-22
Monday: Partly cloudy. Winds W 5-15. Highs 25-35
Wolf Creek area
Saturday Night: Mostly sunny. Winds NW/10-20 G30s. Lows 10-20
Sunday: Clear. Winds NW 5-15. Highs 22-32. Lows 12-20
Monday: Partly cloudy. Winds W 5-15. Highs 25-35
SNOWPACK
Many of the fetches have been scoured, so little left to transport.
And with the dry atmosphere much is sublimated off to the plains. Only
3 new slides today, one explosive triggered in Summit County on an ENE
aspect above TL. This slide started with a shallow fracture but about
½ way down stepped about to ground as the leading edge of debris moved
into the compression zone. This area had about 10 previous shots this
season.
The backcountry avalanche danger for the W San Juans MODERATE with
pockets of CON near & above treeline on lee aspects, N-E-S, MOD below
Treeline & at Wolf Creek, MODERATE. Toepfer