Recent storm snow may need extra time to settle. Use caution, especially where more than 20 cm has accumulated.
The recent snow is taking time to stabilize. This is particularly true where it overlies weak surface hoar crystals and in wind-exposed terrain near ridges. Expect to encounter wind slabs on all aspects in both the alpine and tree line.
Throughout this past week, a few small to large (size 1 to 2) wind slab avalanches out of steep alpine terrain where reported.
20 to 30 cm of snow that in isolated areas is up to 60 cm has accumulated in the past week. This storm snow has formed a slab and overlies a hard melt-freeze crust and perhaps isolated surface hoar crystals in wind-sheltered treeline terrain.
Variable winds have created windslabs on all aspects near or just below ridge crests.
The snow may be deeper and touchier in wind-exposed lee features.
A weak layer of surface hoar and/or faceted grains buried mid-February is around 50 to 100 cm deep, but is showing signs of strengthening.
The lower snowpack is well-settled.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
Sunday
Mix of sun and cloud with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Monday
Mix of sun and cloud with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 40 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.
Tuesday
Mix of sun and cloud with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 40 to 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
