Precipitation and warming temperatures coupled with reactive persistent weak layers is keeping hazard elevated.
Conservative decision making is essential.
Storm snow and wind may have formed wind slabs at upper elevations. These slabs will be most reactive in lee areas by ridgetops, and could step-down to deeper weak layers.
Weak layers in the upper snowpack continue to be reactive and surprise riders with wide propagation. Recent large avalanches have involved the 3rd or 4th rider. Remote-triggering and large avalanches remain possible.
On Thursday, a large persistent slab avalanche was reported that was remote triggered by a snowcat.
On Wednesday, warm temperatures and precipitation supported the release of sluffs and pinwheels, with up to size 1.5 wet loose avalanche activity being reported.
A large skier triggered persistent slab avalanche occurred just north of the region. The slab height was roughly 60 cm deep on the Feb 14th surface hoar layer.
Fluctuating freezing levels will bring mixed precipitation with up to 10 cm of snow above 2000 m by end of day Saturday. Below this, a new surface hoar/surface crust layer has been buried.
In the top 100 cm of the snowpack, there are multiple concerning persistent weak layers of surface hoar and/or facets/crusts. The majority of the recent large and destructive avalanches occurred on well-preserved surface hoar in sheltered areas at treeline and below.
The remaining snowpack has no current layers of concern.
Friday Night
Cloudy. 3 to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Saturday
Cloudy. 2 to 4 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 10 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.
Monday
Mix of sun and clouds. 2 to 10 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
