Stick to simple terrain, free from overhead hazard. Storm snow is expected to remain sensitive to human triggers, and buried weak layers may produce larger avalanches than you expect.
A layer of surface hoar and a melt-freeze crust lurk in the middle of the snowpack. If triggered, it will produce a large and destructive avalanche.
Storm snow is expected to remain sensitive to human triggers, especially where continued wind loading is observed. Deeper and more reactive deposits are expected in wind affected terrain.
On Sunday, naturally and human triggered slabs were reported to size 2 at treeline and alpine elevations. Observations are limited, a larger avalanche cycle may have occurred on the variety of weak interfaces in the snowpack.
On Tuesday, we expect natural activity to have tapered, but human triggering remains likely.
Storm totals are expected to reach 40 to 70 cm by Tuesday morning. This adds to the 20 to 50 cm of rapidly settling snow from last week. Upper elevations are likely heavily wind affected, while treeline and below likely holds a surface crust from recent rain.
Reactive weak layers exist in the mid and lower snowpack, producing avalanches during the last 10 days of snowfall.
Surface hoar sits below the recent storm snow. Wide propagating, remotely triggered avalanches have been recently triggered on this layer, which appears to be widespread south of Highway 16 and spottier north of the highway.
A crust from mid November sits 90 to 130 cm deep, with faceted snow above.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 3 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 20 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 700 m.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 600 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
