Northern Mountains

 This is Spencer at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at 3:30
 pm, Saturday, December 31, 2005.

 Northern Mountains

 WEATHER DISCUSSION

 Today's high clouds will drop later tonight. Snowfall should begin in
 earnest around midnight. 2006 is off to a promising start.

 Temperatures will drop through the storm, and hit 24 hr lows tomorrow
 evening. Snowfall tapers off tomorrow afternoon, and we may see some
 stars Sunday night. Clouds will be back Monday afternoon in advance of
 the next storm. It still looks like the S Mtns will get snow Monday
 night into Tuesday, and the C and N mtns on Tuesday. A ridge builds
 later in the week.

 Sat Night: Snow, 3-6" after midnight, 5-8" Steamboat zone. Winds
    WSW/20-30 G50s. Lows 10-20.
 Sunday: Morning snow 2-5", 3-6" Steamboat Zone. Winds W/15-25 G40s.
    Highs 10-20.
 Sun Night: Partly cloudy. Winds WNW/25-35. Lows 10-20.
 Monday: Becoming mostly cloudy. Winds W/25-35. Highs 20-30.
 
 SNOWPACK

 There are windslabs on N-E-S aspects. The strong winds have formed
 thicker slabs farther below ridges, and lower in avalanche paths, than
 is usual. Most of the recent natural and controlled activity has been
 confined to these layers. Test results still show moderate, clean
 shears. Sunday, these slabs will be even thicker as the new snow
 accumulates and gets loaded. That means larger potential avalanches
 and a more sensitive snowpack.

 A few deep avalanches are a reminder that the lower snowpack can not
 be entirely discounted. An avalanche in the shallower windslabs may
 step down into deeper layers.

 Near and above treeline on N-E-S facing slopes the avalanche danger is
 CONSIDERABLE with pockets of HIGH on steep, windloaded slopes. On
 other aspects and below treeline the danger is MODERATE with some
 windloaded pockets of CONSIDERABLE.

 SLogan