Flurries will increase the load on weak layers in the snowpack. Avalanches remain possible where loose snow consolidates into a cohesive slab.
Weak layers, 20 to 50 cm deep, remain a concern, especially where cohesive slabs exist above, most likely found in wind-loaded terrain or sun-exposed slopes, where the solar effect has settled the upper snowpack into a cohesive slab.
In areas that accumulate over 15 cm of fresh flurries, thin slabs may begin to show reactivity. Expect to find sluffing, easily triggered and entraining new and old snow, in steep terrain.
Over the last week, several small skier-triggered avalanches (size 1 to 1.5) have been reported across the region. These avalanches mostly occurred on weak layers of facets and/or sun crusts roughly 20 to 40 cm below the surface.
On Wednesday a size 2.5 avalanche was remotely triggered by a helicopter landing at ridgetop. The avalanche started in a steep shallow start zone on an east aspect around the treeline, failing on a weak layer roughly 100 cm below the surface.
Ongoing cold, clear, and dry conditions have largely preserved soft surface conditions, while variable wind-affected surfaces are present in exposed terrain at treeline and above.
Various layers buried at the end of January are now approximately 20 to 50 cm below the surface. These include sun crusts on sun-exposed slopes, surface hoar in shaded terrain at treeline and below, and weak faceted grains elsewhere.
Beneath these buried layers, the snowpack remains weak and faceted due to the prolonged dry conditions throughout January.
The mid and lower snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.
Saturday Night
Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 5 cm snow. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -16 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy with scattered flurries, up to 10 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatrure -12 °C.
Monday
Cloudy with isolated flurries, 5 cm of snow. 10 to 30 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatrure -10 °C.
Tuesday
Sun and cloud. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
