Keeping up safe travel habits is always a good idea in a shallow snowpack like the east slope of the Rockies. Shallow rocky start zones are the most likely to produce an unexpected avalanche.
Older deposits of wind-loaded snow in shallow, rocky areas should be treated with caution. An avalanche in an area fitting this profile was triggered on Sunday.
A size 2 slab avalanche was reported from the Tom's Lake area on Sunday. Check out the MIN report here. It's an older report, but remains relevant since the avalanche appears to have failed on weak, faceted snow in the mid or lower snowpack, which won't disappear anytime soon. It's a good reminder that even old wind loaded pockets in otherwise thin, rocky snowpack areas should be treated with caution.
Keep posting your observations to the Mountain Information Network!
Surface conditions in the region are predominantly wind-affected, some of it more recent with light snow and elevated winds through Thursday morning.
Limited soft snow may be found on the surface in more sheltered areas above 1500 m. Below this elevation and on solar aspects, minimal new snow amounts should overlie a near-surface crust.
The snowpack in this region is otherwise shallow with the middle and base mostly made up of weak, sugary facet crystals along with a crust at the base of the snowpack. Steep terrain where wind slabs may linger over these old, weak grains are the main avalanche concern in the region.
Friday Night
Clearing with easing isolated flurries. 10 km/h variable, mainly north ridgetop winds. Treeline overnight low around -18 °C.
Saturday
Mainly sunny before clouding over in the afternoon. 10 to 50 km/h west ridgetop wind, increasing. Treeline high temperature around -13 °C.
Sunday
Becoming sunny. 20 to 30 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature around -14 °C.
Monday
Mainly sunny. 50 to 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -5 with a possible above freezing layer around 2500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
