New snow and wind are building slabs over a slippery crust. Expect avalanche size and sensitivity to increase as snowfall accumulates.
Snowfall accumulating through the day is not expected to bond well to a slippery crust. Southwesterly winds will impact loose snow and build reactive slabs. Expect storm slab size and sensitivity to increase through Friday.
THURSDAY NIGHT: Snow, 10-20 cm accumulating Friday morning / moderate south-southwesterly wind / ridgeline temperature low -2 / freezing level below 400 m
FRIDAY: Snow, another 5-15 cm though the day / moderate gusting to high southerly wind / ridgeline temperature high -2 / freezing level around 800 m
SATURDAY: Cloudy with flurries, 5 cm / moderate southwesterly wind / ridgeline temperature high -2 / freezing level around 700 m
SUNDAY: Heavy snow or rain, 30-50 cm / high southwesterly wind / ridgeline temperature high +3 / freezing level rising above 1500 m
On Monday, riders found soft low density storm snow rapidly gaining strength and reactivity as temperatures warmed through the day. Slab avalanches size 1-1.5 and 15-30 cm deep released naturally and were triggered by skiers and explosives in the afternoon. There are some tremendous visuals in this MIN report.
15-20 cm fresh snow is expected by Friday morning with more flurries and increasing winds through the day. Accumulating snowfall will cover a widespread crust on most slopes and wind affected surfaces on polar slopes at upper elevations.
An unusual mix of facets, thin breakable crust, and isolated pockets of surface hoar is found 15-30 cm below the surface. This overlies 30-40 cm of gradually faceting snow, over a wide spread and supportive crust underneath. The snowpack is well settled below.
