Storm slabs are touchier in sheltered areas where they sit on surface hoar.
Stick to conservative terrain and back off if you see signs of instability like avalanches, cracking, or whumpfs.
New storm slabs are expected to be small but reactive due to the large surface hoar they’ll form over.
The storm slab will be most reactive in sheltered areas where surface hoar is buried, or along ridges where winds have drifted the new snow.
Some human-triggered size 1 storm slabs over the surface hoar/crust combo were reported south of the region on Wednesday and Thursday.
New snow accumulating over the surface hoar, is expected to have triggered a cycle of natural and human-triggered avalanches on Friday.
If you are getting out, please share observations like avalanches, weather, and riding conditions to the Mountain Information Network.
Up to 30 cm of new snow sits over a widespread crust at treeline. With warm temperatures throughout the storm, this likely fell as rain as high as 1400 m in some areas of the region.
This new snow was accompanied by moderate to strong southwest winds, meaning that the crust has remained near the surface on southerly aspects while deeper deposits will be found on north and east aspects.
A layer of large surface hoar on the crust will make the storm slab more reactive in sheltered treeline and below treeline locations above 1400 m. Remote triggering is possible in these areas.
The mid and lower snowpack is well settled.
Friday Night
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.
Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing Level 1500 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 4 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing Levels 1600 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
