Dangerous avalanche conditions continue.Avoid large slopes, overhead hazards and steep terrain.
Storm slabs sit on a weak interface and will likely be reactive with new snow, strong southerly wind and rising freezing levels.
Wet loose avalanches are likely where precipitation falls as rain.
A weak layer buried 100 to 300 cm remains a concern. Avoid shallow rocky areas where the snow transitions from thick to thin and triggering this layer is more likely.
If triggered the resulting avalanche would be very large and destructive.
On Tuesday, reports saw numerous wet loose avalanches (up to size 2.5) primarily from south facing slopes and all aspects below treeline. Explosive control produced one persistent slab (size 1.5) at treeline on a southeast aspect and several wind slabs (size 1 to 1.5) which were remotely triggered from 400 m away.
Natural and human triggered slab avalanches are very likely on Thursday.
15 to 30 cm of new snow and strong southerly wind is expected by Thursday morning.
The upper metre of the snowpack is complicated. This snow sits above several significant weak layers that formed during the January and February dry spells. These include facets, surface hoar (in sheltered terrain), and crust on solar aspects. These layers are currently reactive.
Deeper in the snowpack, a weak layer of facets and a crust from early December varies in depth from 100 to 300 cm. This layer also remains a concern in this region.
Wednesday Night
New snow 10 to 20 cm. 15 gusting to 65 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.
Thursday
Mix of sun and cloud with snow 5 to 10 cm. 20 to 55 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Friday
Snow 5 to 10 cm. 10 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 900 m.
Saturday
Mix of sun and cloud. 10 km southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
