Fresh snow amounts are variable across the region, and may have formed reactive wind slabs on many aspects due to changing wind directions. Keep in mind that even brief periods of sun could initiate avalanche activity in the new snow.
New snow and strong southwest to northwest wind may form fresh wind slabs. They will most likely be isolated to immediate lees of ridgecrests and roll-overs at upper elevations.
Loose surface avalanches may occur from steeper slopes and terrain features, especially if the sun comes out, and in locations that received heavier snowfall amounts.
Cornices are especially fragile this time of year, especially when the sun is out. Cornice falls are dangerous on their own and they can also trigger slabs on slopes below.
Wednesday Night: Cloudy with snow up 5-10 cm. Ridgteop wind moderate from the northwest. Alpine temperatures near -6 and freezing levels valley bottom.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy with some sunny periods and isolated flurries. Ridgetop wind light from the northwest. Alpine temperatures near -5 and freezing levels 1300 m.
Friday: Snow 10-15 cm. Ridgteop wind strong from the southwest. Alpine temperatures near -8 and freezing levels 900 m.
Saturday: Snow 5-10 cm. Light to moderate West wind and freezing levels 1300 m.
On Tuesday, a skier-triggered cornice failure size 2.5 was reported from a high alpine ridgeline along with some wet loose and wet slab avalanches up to size 2.
New snow and strong winds shifting from the southwest to northwest may have formed fresh and reactive wind slabs on leeward slopes at treeline and in the alpine.
Loose surface avalanches within the new snow may occur from steeper slopes and terrain features, especially if the sun comes out, and in locations that received greater accumulations of new snow.
Winter weather returns with new snow 10-20 cm across the region. Shifting wind directions from the southwest to northwest could form new wind slabs on leeward slopes and behind terrain features. The new snow sits on a series of melt-freeze crusts on all aspects below 1900 m and southerly aspects to mountain top. On North aspects in the alpine, the new snow will sit on dry wintery snow surfaces and possibly surface hoar on wind-sheltered slopes.
The recent warm weather is expected to have helped old persistent weak layers heal, including a few crusts buried over the last month as well as a facet layer 150 cm deep from the mid-February cold snap.
