Southern Mountains

 This is Dale in the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at 1:10 pm,
 Saturday, February 12, 2005.
 DISCUSSION

 This afternoon a warm and moist low pressure system in NV/UT is slowly
 heading toward CO. Snow and rain at lower elevations (<8500 feet)
 reported in many mountain areas. The system will speed up and cross CO
 tonight, so expect snowfall to intensify tonight as the flow becomes
 stronger and some cold air moves in, but amounts stay light as
 moisture will diminish. Expect increasing NW-W winds especially for
 the N mtns on Sunday and Monday. Conditions for all mountains will
 stay unsettled and cooler as we start the new week. The forecast
 details:
 
 Sat night: Light snow, 1-3 this afternoon plus 1-3" overnight favoring
 W San Juans. Winds NW/10-20, G30s abv TL. Lows 12-22.
 Sunday: N side: mostly cloudy, snow showers, 0-2"; S and E sides:
 partly cloudy. Winds NW-W/10-20, G30 abv TL. Highs 16-26.
 Monday:Mostly cloudy, snow showers, 0-2". Winds W-SW/10-20, G30 abv
 TL. Highs 19-23.
 SNOWPACK

 No new snow in the Summit County and Front Range areas but early
 reports of 24-hr snows in the C mtns: Sunlight, 0.5 inch; Gothic, 1.
 In the S mtns: Telluride, 2 inches; Red Mountain Pass and Silverton,
 3; Durango Mtn Resort, 5.5; Coal Bank Pass, 6.5; Wolf Creek Pass, 10.
 With 10 inches of new snow and more than 1 inch of water I increased
 the backcountry avalanche danger locally in the Wolf Creek Pass area
 to CONSIDERABLE for all elevations and aspects. Triggered releases are
 probable especially from steep slopes. Elsewhere the backcountry
 danger remains unchanged.

 In the rest of the S mtns the backcountry danger is generally LOW
 below treeline, though locally pockets of MODERATE exist in areas that
 received 6+ inches of new snow like Coal Bank Pass. Near and above
 treeline MODERATE with pockets of CONSIDERABLE, all aspects. On
 Thursday skiers triggered a fairly good-sized slide in Bear Creek
 outside Telluride, NW aspect at 12,400 ft. Locally in the Wolf Creek
 Pass area overall CONSIDERABLE.

 Backcountry travelers in all mountain areas should be alert to fresh,
 tender slabs that formed from overnight snows or from additional snows
 and winds expected tonight.

 Atkins