Riders could trigger large avalanches within the recent storm snow. Conservative terrain travel is recommended.
It remains possible that riders could trigger surface hoar and/or faceted grains that were buried mid-February, especially at high elevations where a thick crust doesn't exist above it.
Riders could trigger large avalanches where the 50 to 80 cm of recent snow is slow to bond to underlying layers of weak surface hoar and/or a hard melt-freeze crust. Slabs may also be touchy in immediate lee terrain features from recent wind.
Many large to very large (size 2 to 3.5) storm slab avalanches were reported on Monday. They were triggered naturally, by riders, and by explosives. The avalanches were mostly on north to east aspects between 1900 and 2100 m. They failed at the base of the recent storm snow, with 50 to 80 cm slabs reported.
It remains possible for riders to trigger similar avalanches for the coming days.
Around 50 to 80 cm of storm snow since Saturday sits on a hard melt-freeze crust found everywhere except north-facing slopes above 1600 m. There may also be isolated surface hoar crystals above the crust in wind-sheltered terrain around treeline.
A weak layer of surface hoar and/or faceted grains buried mid-February is around 70 to 120 cm deep.
The lower snowpack is well-settled.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow. 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Wednesday
Cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow. 20 to 30 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of snow. 10 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
