While snow is tapering off and natural activity may stop, dangerous avalanche conditions still exist
Stick to the most conservative terrain, avoid all large slopes and any overhead hazard
Facets or surface hoar above a thick crust persists deep in the snowpack. Storm slab avalanches may step down to this layer resulting in very large, destructive avalanches.
Deeper and more sensitive slabs exist on north and east facing slopes near ridges. Danger may rise quickly if the sun appears.
Good travel habits are key, minimize your exposure to avalanche terrain and evaluate safe spots with caution.
Widespread avalanche activity was observed Thursday. Natural and human-triggered avalanches were reported within the storm snow, including several notable remotely triggered storm slabs to size 3, which indicates a very sensitive snowpack.
Avalanches occurred on all aspects and on several bed surfaces - including within the storm snow and on buried weak layers up to 130 cm deep.
50 to 120 cm of recent snow has been heavily wind affected in exposed terrain. Storm snow sits over wind-affected surfaces and old wind slabs in exposed areas at all elevations.
Multiple weak layers exist in the upper and mid snowpack. The most concerning weak layer is found down 50 to 120 cm with a layer of facets (or in isolated areas, preserved surface hoar) above a thick crust.
This layer is the culprit of recent remotely-triggered avalanches in low-angle terrain indicating the need for cautious decision making. Professionals remain very concerned about how this layer is reacting to the new load, and significant uncertainty exists around when the snowpack will gain strength.
Friday Night
Cloudy with 5-10 cm of snowfall ending early in the night. 30-40 km/h southerly winds. Freezing level drops to valley bottom.
Saturday
Cloudy with possible sunny breaks and isolated flurries. 15-35 km/h southeast winds. Treeline temperature -9 °C. Freezing level around 600 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with possible sunny breaks and isolated flurries. 30-40 km/h southeast winds. Treeline temperature -7 °C. Freezing level around 800 m.
Monday
Light overnight snowfall ends early Monday morning.
Cloudy with possible sunny breaks and isolated flurries. Light southwest southwest winds. Treeline temperature -10 °C. Freezing level around 500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
