New snow and strong winds will build reactive wind slabs and grow cornices. Stay clear of wind-loaded slopes and keep in mind that large avalanches may reach lower elevations from above.
With strong SW winds accompanying a new pulse of snow, new reactive wind slabs will form in lee features. These could build on existing wind slabs and yield large avalanches that may reach lower elevations.
A few cornice triggered slab avalanches to size 2.5 were observed on Tuesday. While most were likely wind slabs, there is uncertainty to whether some could have run on buried persistent weak layers.
Upper snowpack: Another 15 cm will fall with strong SW winds on top of 20 cm that fell early this week. This will continue to build wind slabs on lee slopes. It sits over a crust on solar slopes at and below treeline.
Mid snowpack: 30-50 cm of settling snow from last week's storms sits over a series of melt freeze crusts and faceted layers on polar aspects and on a thick crust on solar slopes.
Lower snowpack: is well settled.
Thursday
Isolated flurries with up to 6 cm of snow. Low of -6 °C, High of -4 °C. SW wind gusting to 70 km/h. Freezing level of 1700 m.
Friday
Flurries up to 10 cm. Low of -5 °C, High of -4 °C. Wind SW gusting to 65 km/h. Freezing level of 1700 m.
Saturday
Isolated flurries. Up to 5 cm during the AM. Low of -6 °C, High of -2 °C. SW wind gusting to 50 km/h. Freezing level of 1900 m.
Current weather forecast: Mountain Weather Forecast
