Natural avalanche activity may taper off, but the snowpack remains primed for human triggering.
Start with a very conservative trip plan and back off if you encounter signs of instability.
Two surface hoar layers can be found in the top meter of the snowpack in sheltered terrain. New snow, rain, wind and warming will add stress to these layers and they may become reactive.
Storm slabs sit on a weak interface and are reactive with new snow, strong southerly wind. Deeper deposits of wind transported snow may exist in leeward and cross-loaded terrain, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
On Thursday, several human triggered avalanches were reported up to (size 2). The most significant ones were remotely triggered from up to 200 m away.
The stormy conditions proved a widespread natural avalanche cycle up to size 3. Many of these avalanches have been reported as wind, storm and persistent slabs at upper elevations and wet loose at lower elevations.
Natural avalanches may taper, but the snowpack could remain primed for human triggering.
Over the past few days, up to 50 cm of new storm snow accompanied by strong southerly wind hit the region. Wind-transported snow has likely built deeper slabs on northerly aspects at upper elevations. Lower elevation snow may be crusty as freezing levels fall.
The upper metre of the snowpack is complicated. This snow sits above several significant weak layers that formed during the January and February dry spells. These include facets, surface hoar (in sheltered terrain), and crust on solar aspects.
A layer of facets on top of a crust from early December is buried 100 to 200 cm deep. This layer is generally not a concern in this region.
Friday Night
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 45 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Saturday
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 45 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 900 m.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures -1. Freezing level 1000 m.
Monday
Sunny with few cloud. 10 to 20 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures -7. Freezing level 1000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
