Heightened avalanche conditions exist in specific terrain features where deeper pockets of dry snow sit over a weak layer.
A weak layer of surface hoar/crust/facets exists in the top 30 cm of the snowpack. It will be most sensitive to triggering in northerly upper elevation lees where the overlying snow is deepest, dry and not capped by a more recent crust.
Avalanche activity during the warm weather on Thursday and Friday was predominantly small loose wet, natural and skier controlled.
In the past week, human-triggered persistent slab avalanches have been reported size 1 to 1.5, failing on the late-January surface hoar/crust/facet layer outlined in the snowpack summary. Most of these avalanches occurred at treeline and above.
A dusting of new snow falls over mostly crusty surfaces. The old surface may remain dry on the highest north aspects, and moist at low elevations.
10 to 20 cm of snow sits over the late-January weak layer. This layer consists of a melt-freeze crust of variable thickness, with a possibility of surface hoar on top and faceted snow above and/or below the crust. This layer is expected to become increasingly problematic as it gets buried deeper.
The mid and lower snowpack is generally well settled, with no significant concerns.
Saturday Night
Cloudy. 2 to 5 cm of snow. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 2 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Monday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
