Significative storm slabs will continue to develop throughout the day. It is a good day to make conservative choices and stick to simple, safe and non-avalanche terrain.
Significative storm slabs will continue to develop throughout the day. It is almost certain that this new snow will not bond to the variety of older surfaces and will produce a natural avalanche cycle. It is a good day to make conservative choices and stick to simple and safe terrain.
The arrival of a Pacific frontal system marks the change to a wetter weather pattern.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Snow, heavy at times, 25-35 cm, 40-60 km/h southerly wind, alpine low temperature -5 C, freezing level at 1000 m.
SUNDAY: Snow, heavy at times, 20-30 cm, 30-50 km/h southwesterly wind, alpine high temperature -4 C, freezing level at 1200 m.
MONDAY: Snow, heavy at times, 40-50 cm, 40-60 km/h southerly wind, alpine high temperature 0 C, freezing level at 1600 m.
TUESDAY: Snow, 10-15 cm, 30-50 km/h southwesterly wind, alpine high temperature 0 C, freezing level at 1600 m.
No new avalanche was reported on Friday.
Storm snow is covering a variety of surfaces including the widespread mid-February crust, wind affected snow and pockets of wind slab in exposed high elevation terrain, a suncrust on solar aspects, low density facetted snow on northerly slopes and spotty surface hoar in very sheltered lower elevations. It is almost certain that all this new snow will not bond to the older surfaces.
A crust/facet/surface hoar interface formed late-January is buried down 40-100 cm. This layer was most reactive between 1700 m and 2000 m. While this layer has been dormant in most of the region lately, large loads such as heavy snowfalls and cornice falls could wake it up and produce very large avalanches.
