Stormy weather continues !
Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow and wind.
Significant amount of new snow will create fresh and reactive slabs, especially on lee terrain features. Slab size and sensitivity to triggering will increase as new snow accumulates.
Storm slabs (size 1) were easily triggered by riders on convex rolls on Wednesday, as the storm brought 15 to 20 cm of new snow.
Avalanche activity will increase during this stormy period and a natural cycle is expected.
Thanks for sharing your observations via the MIN if you are going out into the backcountry.
Another 40 to 60 cm of new snow is expected by Friday afternoon, forming touchy and widespread storm slabs. This overlies firm wind-transported snow in lee terrain at upper elevations and moist, heavy snow or a melt-freeze crust on southerly slopes, especially at lower elevations.
A supportive crust is found 80 to 150 cm deep and the recent settling snow is bonding well to it. Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.
Thursday Night
Cloudy with 30 to 50 cm of new snow. 50 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Friday
Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of new snow. 40 to 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Saturday
Partly cloudy with isolated flurries. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with 25 to 40 cm of new snow. 50 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +2 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
