Cold temperature's will begin to abate Thursday, and skies will gradually clear.
The best travel can be found in areas unaffected by the wind and where there is a thicker snowpack.
With increasing winds late Wednesday windslabs may form in specific locations at ridgetop and below. The stronger and more prolonged the wind, the more loading, the more the hazard will increase. Watch for dry loose sluffing out of steep terrain where winds are present.
On Wednesday the Sunshine ski hill had a couple ski cut size 1 wind slabs, and several dry loose size 1's out of steep terrain were observed by our field team on Highway 93N.
Otherwise no new avalanches were observed.
Last weekend's storm has settled into 15-20 cm of soft surface snow. This recent snow has buried a new weak layer (dated January 30) which will be important to watch in the future. Currently, minimal slab properties overlying the Jan 30 layer keep the danger moderate to low. The mid-pack is generally weak and faceted with an old crust and depth hoar near the base.
Wednesday night winds will increase, particularly at higher elevations. Thursday temperature's will gradually warm, winds will lighten and skies will clear into Friday.
