New snow will improve riding quality but bond poorly to the underlying crust. Although the anticipated size of avalanches is small, they will likely be quite reactive to human triggering.
Westerly winds will create new wind slabs in the alpine and treeline. These wind slabs will be reactive to human triggering where they overlie a thick rain crust.
Saturday Overnight: Mainly cloudy with up to 3 cm of new snow accumulation. Freezing levels lowering to valley bottom. Winds ease from strong westerlies to light to moderate from the northwest.
Sunday: Partially cloudy in the morning with isolated flurries, clearing in the afternoon. Light westerly winds with freezing levels at valley bottom.
Monday: Cloudy with flurries, up to 3 cm of accumulation. Moderate to strong northwesterly winds. Freezing levels at valley bottom.
Tuesday: Partially cloudy with isolated flurries. Strong northwest winds at ridgetop, freezing levels at valley bottom.
No new avalanches have been reported in the past 24 hours.
If you head out this weekend, please share your observations and/or photos on the Mountain Information Network! ?
15-20 cm of new snow sits on top of a thick rain crust on all aspects below 2400m. Above 2400m, strong to extreme winds have created a variety of wind-affected surfaces. Westerly winds will have redistributed this new snow into wind slabs in the alpine and treeline.
Previously, the mid-November rain crust could be found near the base of the snowpack. It is likely that rain has begun to break down this crust at treeline and below, and amalgamated the lower snowpack into melt forms with a thick capping rain crust above.
Snowpack depths range from 10-80 cm at treeline elevations. Higher elevations may hold a deeper snowpack, but will also be more heavily impacted by recent winds. Rain has washed away the snowpack below 1900m.
