Steady snow and wind have created windslabs in the alpine and exposed areas at treeline. Use caution as you transition into wind affected terrain.
The best snow quality still exists in wind sheltered areas.
Steady snowfall this past week has left plenty of snow available for transport. Moderate/strong gusty winds will continue to refresh these slabs. This avalanche problem will be most reactive in the alpine and exposed areas at tree line.
There was a small natural avalanche cycle overnight in steep start zones that was likely triggered by a wind spike.
Reports have been trickling in of wind effect and shooting cracks in alpine terrain. The operations around us are also reporting a mix of wind slab and stormslabs as well as sluffing in steep terrain.
Continuous snowfall the past week has brought 90+cm. Mod to strong S/SW winds formed a reactive wind slab in specific features (ridge lee areas, open cross-loaded slopes, convex rolls).
Sheltered slopes hold excellent skiing.
A persistent weak layer is down 90-120cm. This interface is breaking down, but consists of surface hoar in sheltered locations, and a sun crust on solar aspects. The snowpack's base is comprised of several early-season melt-freeze rain crusts
A series of low intensity storms will affect the region over the next few days.
Tonight Isolated flurries, trace amounts, Alp low -8°C, South winds 30 km/h, freezing level (FZL) 900m.
Fri Sun/cloud/flurries, trace snow, Alp High -7°C, light wind gusting 30km/h, FZL 1000m.
Sat Flurries, 10cm, Alp High -5°C, SW winds 35-40km/h, FZL 1200m
Sun Flurries, Trace snowfall, Alp High -7°C, winds light SE, FZL 1100m.
