Unusual weather makes for unusual avalanche conditions: around 50cm of dry pow is on the ground ready to be picked up by the wind. If the wind strikes for even a few hours expect fat pillows of fresh windslab. An unusual "reverse loading" pattern will result form the north wind.
With plenty of soft, light snow available for wind transport, we expect to see wind slab formation in the alpine and open areas near treeline. A north or northwest wind means atypical cross-loading and reverse loading patterns.
Monday Night: Wind increasing to strong northwest. Treeline temperatures around -10 to -15 C. Light snow (north) or flurries (south) with up to 5 cm by morning.
Tuesday: Mix of sun and clouds, some of those clouds are low so good chance of sun at higher elevations.. Modrate to strong northwest wind. Treeline temperatures around -10 C. No snow.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny with increasing cloud in the afternoon. Strong northwest wind. Treeline temperatures around -10 C. No snow.
Thursday: Up to 5 cm with a short lived band of moisture blowing through on a strong northwest wind. Temperatures around -10 C.
From the few reports we've received the upper snowpack is unconsolidated so loose dry avalanches (sluffs) have been the primary concern. This will change Tuesday with strong wind forecast: widespread and potentially deep windslabs are expected.
With plenty of soft, light snow available for transport, expect wind slab formation at upper elevations Tuesday morning. A northwesterly wind direction means atypical cross-loading and reverse loading patterns.
20-40 cm now sits over a freezing rain crust below 1500 m and above this elevation it may rest on a layer of large surface hoar crystals. Our field team reported easy shears on this layer in their MIN report last week. You can see photos of the surface hoar prior to being buried by the storm in these MIN reports from Elk Mountain on Monday and Mt Kitchener on Tuesday.
The mid- and lower snowpack are generally well settled.
