It's uncertain how long it will take for the new snow to bond.
A weak layer buried deep in the snowpack continues to produce large, destructive avalanches.
A thin crust along with surface hoar and/or facets buried in early December persists roughly 100 to 200 cm deep. It appears to be of greatest concern in areas with shallow snowpacks and on wind-loaded north or east-facing slopes.
Storm snow may need additional time to bond especially where it sits atop a weak layer of surface hoar crystals. Where the wind has deposited snow, expect avalanches to be larger and easier to trigger.
Large avalanches failing on the early December weak layers continue to be reported. On Thursday, a few large (size 2-2.5) persistent slab avalanches failed on north and east aspects in the alpine.
Additionally, several natural and rider-triggered wind slabs were reported on Thursday. They were mostly small, but several were large.
Up to 50 cm of new snow has accumulated since last weekend, with lower amounts in inland areas. Significant southwest winds have redistributed this new snow into deeper deposits in leeward terrain. A layer of weak surface hoar crystals may persist beneath the new snow, particularly on wind-sheltered slopes.
Deeper in the snowpack, approximately 100 to 200 cm below the surface, layers of crusts, faceted crystals, and/or surface hoar buried in early December remain a concern. These layers have been responsible for several large avalanches over the past week.
The lower snowpack is generally well-settled with no current concerns.
Friday Night
Mostly cloudy. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Sunday
Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
