A few inches of new snow isn't enough to change avalanche conditions very much, but the welcome fresh snow will certainly refresh the mountain scenes and improve the riding. Lower elevation slopes facing southeast, south, southwest, and west were bare of snow yesterday. At low and mid-elevations across the zone, the snow cover is exceptionally thin, creating hazardous travel conditions due to rocks, downed trees, and barely covered branches. Higher, sun crusts of varying thickness are found on sunny slopes, and the faceted snow surface was so loose on steep, northerly-facing slopes that people could easily trigger sluffs or small loose avalanches. Moderate westerly winds overnight redeposited the fresh snow on top of preexisting weak faceted snow, creating pockets of unstable snow in exposed upper-elevation terrain, primarily on slopes facing the eastern half of the compass (northwest through southeast).

This morning, at the UAC Card Canyon weather station at 8,700 feet, the temperature is 18°F, and there is 3 inches of new snow and 44 inches of total snow. The Tony Grove Snotel at 8400 feet reports 20°F and 54 inches of total snow, with 3 inches new. On Logan Peak at 9700 feet, winds are currently blowing from the west-northwest at 21 mph and gusting to 30 mph. It's 14°F on Paris Peak at 9500 feet, and the wind is currently blowing from the west at 11 to 17 mph. The moderate winds are still enough to drift the light new snow into avalanche starting zones. Expected high temperatures at 8500 feet today will be around 26°F, and moderate winds will continue from the west. It will be partly cloudy tonight, with temperatures dropping to around 17°F, and diminishing winds blowing from the west. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny, with a high temperature near 31°F and moderate westerly winds. High pressure will bring dry weather and warming temperatures through the weekend.