961 WSUS86 KSEW 011638 SABSEA BACKCOUNTRY AVALANCHE FORECAST FOR THE OLYMPICS WASHINGTON CASCADES AND MT HOOD AREA NORTHWEST WEATHER AND AVALANCHE CENTER SEATTLE WASHINGTON 830 AM PDT MON DEC 1 2008 NWAC Program administered by: USDA-Forest Service with cooperative funding and support from: Washington State Department of Transportation National Weather Service National Park Service Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Pacific Northwest Ski Area Association Friends of the Avalanche Center and other private organizations. This forecast applies to back country avalanche terrain below 7000 feet and does not apply to highways or operating ski areas. WAZ513-518-519-019-042-501-502-ORZ011-012000- && EARLY DECEMBER NORTHWEST AVALANCHE DANGER UPDATE As the winter season approaches, the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center is preparing once again to provide daily avalanche forecasts for the Olympics and Cascades. As of today most mountain areas in the Olympics, Washington Cascades and Mt Hood region have only minor accumulations of snow on the ground up to about 7000 feet due to several wet and warm storms in mid November and a dominant upper ridge of high pressure of late. This late start to the winter and associated lack of avalanche danger at moderate and lower elevations has allowed NWAC staff of the NWAC a little extra time to make improvements and repairs to the mountain weather data network, and to continue working and testing the new NWAC web site which will hopefully come on line in early 2009. At the present time, a relatively weak splitting frontal system is expected to move over the region mid-late Monday into early Tuesday. This should produce some minor new snow accumulations above about 4 to 5000 feet late Monday into early Tuesday but little change in the overall low avalanche danger. Following this disturbance, a rebuilding upper ridge should produce a gradual return to relatively dry and increasingly warm weather for the remainder of the week, with longer range models remaining highly variable about weather trends this next weekend and beyond. Daily forecasts will become available in December when sufficient snow has accumulated at moderate and lower elevations to create a potential avalanche danger. These forecasts to not apply to developed ski areas or highways. Have a safe and enjoyable start to winter 2009 when it arrives! && Backcountry travelers should be aware that elevation and geographic distinctions are approximate and that a transition zone between dangers exists. Remember there are avalanche safe areas in the mountains during all levels of avalanche danger. Contact local authorities in your area of interest for further information. NWAC weather data and forecasts are also available by calling 206-526-6677 for Washington, 503-808-2400 for the Mt Hood area, or by visiting our Web site at www.nwac.us. Also note that field snowpack information is often available on the FOAC website at www.avalanchenw.org, and weather and avalanche glossaries for commonly used terms in the forecasts can be found on the NWAC education page. Moore/Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center $$