Keep your head up as you gain elevation and exposure to the wind. As new snow stacks up, more reactive slabs will be in areas influenced by wind.
Forecast snowfall is expected to accumulate up to 30 cm through Friday. With strong and gusty winds the most reactive areas will initially be around ridges and loaded features. As new snow stacks up, expect the slab problem to become more reactive and widespread.
Thursday night: Snow, 15-20 cm. Southwest winds, 30-50 km/hr. Alpine temperature low -7 C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Friday: Flurries and snow, 5-10 cm through the day. Southwest winds, 30-50 km/hr. Alpine temperature high -1 C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with isolated flurries, 5-10 cm. Southwest winds 20-50 km/hr. Alpine temperature high 1 C. Freezing level 1500 m and rising.
Sunday: Wet snow and rain, 30-50 mm. Southwest winds 35-45 gusting to 70 km/hr. Alpine temperature high 2 C. Freezing level 2300 m.
On Wednesday, Novermber 24, several small (size 1) wind slabs failed in steep alpine features. Note that we have limited field observations this early in the season.
Wind has modified 10-20 cm of recent snow into a variety of pressed surfaces. This covers a supportive mid-November rain crust. The snowpack is drying out from the mid-November rain event, but moist snow is still found below the crust and to the ground.
Snowpack depths range from 40-70 cm at treeline elevations. Expect to find a deeper snowpack at higher elevations and in wind-loaded areas. Snowpack depths decrease rapidly below 1600 m.
Early season hazards are very real right now, be wary of thin/shallow snowpacks, rocks, stumps, creeks, and other sharks hidden under fresh snow.
