Seek out sheltered powder for better, safer riding. Put your guard up if you encounter signs of recent wind slab formation and while you navigate areas of thin coverage.
For the most part, older wind slabs should now be stabilized. Small new slabs could form with wind acting on slopes with soft, transportable snow.
We have not had any reports of avalanche activity.
Please consider sharing any observations you have on the Mountain Information Network.
Up to 5 cm of new snow from Tuesday night may have given a thin cover to a new layer of surface hoar. This grain hasn't been reported in the Cascades yet but has been growing vigourously in adjacent regions.
Below the surface, 10 - 15 cm of soft snow may still exist on sheltered, shaded slopes. In most other areas, especially the alpine, this snow has been heavily wind-redistributed. Cold temperatures are now faceting this upper layer, causing snow grains to lose cohesion.
Various melt-freeze crusts exist in the bottom half of the snowpack but do not appear to be avalanche concerns.
Around 100 cm of snow can be found at treeline. This diminishes rapidly below about 1500 m, where a surface crust is present.
Wednesday night
Cloudy with isolated flurries. 25 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Freezing level 700 m.
Thursday
Cloudy with isolated flurries. 25 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 900 m.
Friday
Cloudy with isolated flurries, increasing a bit overnight. 35 - 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 700 m.
Saturday
Cloudy with easing flurries and new snow totals up to 5 cm. 30 - 35 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
