Latest northwesterly winds deposited wind slabs in unusual places, causing reverse loading in the alpine. Identify wind-impacted snow by watching for sudden changes in surface texture and hardness.
Last 48 hours recorded moderate to strong winds from the northwest. These winds had the potential to create winds slabs in unusual places. Many high elevation features could have wind slabs.
A variety of crusts with facets above and below exist at the bottom of the snowpack. These layers are going to be with us for a long time and pose a low probability, high consequence situation if triggered.
A couple low elevation size 1.5 loose dry avalanches were noted Saturday at highway level Coleman cliffs. Marmot basin explosive triggered a size 2 to ground on a North aspect at tree line on Friday. The slope was not previously controlled.
5cm new snow at the icefields Friday night. The snowpack is 60-120cm in depth at tree line. 10-30cm sits atop a weakening melt freeze crust and surface hoar layer from early December. The middle of the snowpack is facetted and there is a deep persistent layer at the base of the snowpack consisting of a decomposing melt freeze crust and depth hoar.
Expect sun, cloud, no new snow, ridgetop winds of 30- 40 km/h at ridge tops, and -5 °C in the alpine on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday will see strong westerly winds shifting to southwesterly and precipitation beginning on Wednesday and most amounts expected to arrive on Thursday, accumulating to up to 15 cms by Friday morning.
