Lizard-Flathead

New snow is creating touchy storm slabs: It's time to rein in your terrain choices and stick to simple, no consequence terrain. Avoid all overhead hazard as well - avalanches have already been running to valley bottom.

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

Significant snowfall through to Monday afternoon.MONDAY: Heavy snow Sunday overnight into Monday with 35-50cms forecast / Moderate southwest wind / Alpine temperature -12TUESDAY: Scattered flurries / Light southwest wind / Alpine temperature -10WEDNESDAY: Periods of snow, accumulation 5-10cm by day's end / Light to moderate southwast wind / Alpine temperature -9

Several natural and skier-remote triggered avalanches to Size 3 were reported on Sunday: storm slabs running on all aspects. Control results from Sunday morning indicated touchy conditions giving widespread results in the storm snow from Size 1 to 2.5, including sympathetic releases of slopes nearby as well!The size of natural avalanches is expected to increase and the distribution expected to be widespread by late Monday: It's time to seriously dial back the terrain use and stick to simple, no consequence terrain.

Anywhere from 25-45cm of new, low-density snow sits on previous surfaces that may include heavily wind affected snow, surface hoar in sheltered areas and/or facets. This new snow has been transported by west through southeast winds and is forming touchy storm slabs up to 80cm thick at almost all elevations and aspects. By Saturday afternoon the new storm snow was forming slabs and running naturally on northerly aspects in the Corbin zone. The hard windslabs below the recent storm snow have not bonded well to the previous surface and are easy to trigger in isolated lee and cross-loaded features. About 70cm below the surface, you'll find sugary facet crystals which formed during December's cold snap. Although avalanches are currently unexpected at this interface, this layer could come back to life with with warming, significant loading or a large trigger at a thin spot.