The main concern is wind slabs, especially in areas where they overlie weak surface hoar.
Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff or slabby.
Wind slabs have built below ridges and in cross-loaded terrain on a variety of aspects. A layer of surface hoar buried in early January has kept slabs reactive for longer than usual.
Human and naturally triggered wind slabs (size 1 to 2) continue to occur throughout the region, mainly on wind-loaded alpine slopes with a few reported at treeline as well. Notably, a few of these slabs failed on a buried layer of surface hoar down 30 to 40 cm.
Due to wind slabs overlying weak surface hoar in some areas, we expect triggering of these slabs to remain possible for longer than usual.
10 to 20 cm of low-density new snow has fallen over the last few days. This snow has buried a variety of surfaces including sun crust, surface hoar, and facets.
The snow surface is likely wind-affected in most open areas at all elevations.
A secondary layer of weak surface hoar from early January is buried 30 to 50 cm. This layer has most recently only been reactive where wind slabs have formed above it.
A crust/facet/surface hoar layer from early December may be found 90 to 160 cm deep. Avalanche activity on this layer has tapered in recent weeks.
Check out this great MIN that describes the snowpack!
Thursday Night
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries, accumulations of 0 to 3 cm. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -12 °C.
Friday
A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 45 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -13 °C.
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -14 °C.
Sunday
Sunny. 15 to 25 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -9 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
