Cautious route-finding will be important at upper elevations as fresh storm slabs are likely to trigger.
With 20 to 40 cm of new snow, storm slabs will remain reactive at upper elevations on Wednesday. Human triggered avalanches will be likely on steep and wind-loaded slopes.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Scattered flurries bring another 5 cm of snow, moderate wind from the west, treeline temperatures cool to -6 C with freezing level lowering to 1000 m.
WEDNESDAY: Mostly cloudy skies, no precipitation, light wind from the west, treeline temperatures around -3 C with freezing level around 1500 m.
THURSDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, moderate wind from the southwest, treeline temperatures around -3 C with freezing level around 1500 m.
FRIDAY: Cloudy with flurries easing off in the morning bringing up to 5 cm of new snow, moderate wind from the southwest, freezing level around 1500 m.
We have preliminary reports of large (size 2) storm slabs avalanches triggered by explosives on Tuesday. We suspect a natural cycle of storm slab avalanches also occurred on Tuesday, with slabs likely remaining reactive to human triggering on Wednesday.
Upper elevations will likely have 20 to 40 cm of fresh storm snow. Most below treeline elevations will have moist and crusty surfaces, as freezing levels during the storm were between 1500 and 1800 m. The upper snowpack is becoming a complex mix of crusts from sun, warming, and rain over the past few weeks. There has been some evidence of isolated weak facets or surface hoar around these crusts (roughly 30 to 60 cm deep), but at this point triggering avalanches on these layers is not likely.
