Stick to conservative terrain.
Avoid areas where either the sun or wind has formed light and dry snow into a cohesive slab.
Past wind had shifted directions, meaning you may find wind slabs on any aspect in wind-exposed terrain. Wind slabs could step down to buried weak layers and run surprisingly far.
40 to 60 cm of snow rests on a weak layer. On specific terrain features overlying snow has formed a cohesive slab. Recent avalanche activity has been specific to areas that are on southern aspects and steep terrain.
On Thursday numerous small (size 1) skier triggered avalanches have been reported, with one very large (size 3) persistent slab avalanche.
On Wednesday reports of human trigger and natural avalanche activity continued and released on weak layers described in the Snowpack Summary. They ranged from 40 to 100 cm deep, occurring on all aspects and elevations.
It remains possible for humans to trigger similar avalanches going forward. Read more about this problem here.
Around 40 to 60 cm of snow accumulated last week and is beginning to facet and develop surface hoar in protected areas. Recent easterly wind in the alpine and northerly wind near valley bottom redistributed this snow in wind-exposed terrain. The snow remains soft in wind-sheltered terrain with a lack of slab properties. The snow overlies various layers that it may not bond well to, including faceted grains, surface hoar crystals and a hard melt-freeze crust on sun-exposed slopes.
The middle portion of the snowpack between approximately 50 and 100 cm deep is faceted with numerous other layers of surface hoar and/or crusts that formed over the month of January.
The lower snowpack is well settled and strong.
Friday Night
Clear skies. 10 to 15 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -18 °C.
Saturday
Partly cloudy isolated flurries. 0 to 1 cm. 30 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -14 °C.
Sunday
Partly cloudy. 10 to 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.
Monday
Partly cloudy. 10 to 25 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -18 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
