Lizard-Flathead

Fresh wind slabs may build overnight Thursday and into Friday due to strong ridgetop winds and new snow.

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

Thursday: Cloudy. Alpine temperatures near -8 and freezing levels at valley bottom. Ridgetop winds light from the west.Friday: New snow 5-10 cm. Alpine temperatures near -7. Ridgetop winds moderate from the southwest.Saturday: Mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures near -8. Ridgetop winds light with strong gusts from the west.Check out the Mountain Weather Forecast for more details.

No new avalanches observed on Thursday.Please submit your observations to the Mountain Information Network.

A variety of snow surfaces exist throughout the region. Isolated and stubborn, wind slabs may be found on varying aspects in the alpine. Windward slopes have been scoured down to the old rain crust or rock and sun crusts have formed on southerly slopes. In sheltered treeline and below treeline terrain, very large feathery surface hoar and surface facets (sugary snow) exist, likely providing decent riding conditions. These crystals do not pose hazard to us now, but once they get buried by new snow they can form a weak layer that may be reactive later. Roughly 30-60 cm below the surface you'll likely find a hard crust that was buried near the end of November. This crust is approximately 30 cm thick and extends from 1600 m to mountain top on all aspects. Below this crust, the snowpack is moist to ground. Average snowpack depths at treeline elevations in the region range from 70-110 cm.