Moderate winds have redistributed large amounts of low-density snow creating wind slabs in exposed areas.
In nonwind-affected terrain, the low-density snow if triggered could build enough mass to knock a person over or push them into a terrain trap.
Seek out low-angle sheltered areas.
Saturday's storm brought low-density snow and moderate to strong southerly winds to our region. Wind slabs should be expected to overlay a widespread thick crust making them primed to reactive to human triggering.
Up to 30 cm of new low density light and dry snow overlies a variety of old surfaces from smooth and hard surfaces to 30 cm of low density snow.
Expect that dry loose avalanches will be certain on very steep terrain. Even a small loose dry avalanche can have enough mass to push a person into or over a terrain trap such as a cliff or depression.
Wind and low-density snow on top of a crust have produced rider-reactive slabs.
On Wednesday, our field team reported a size 2 natural storm slab avalanche and a size 1.5 wind slab avalanche in the northern part of the island. Incoming snow and winds could produce reactive slabs such as these this weekend
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Up to 60 cm of low-density snow will have fallen in our region by Monday morning. Variable winds have and will continue to redistribute this snow so expect to find wind slabs on all aspects.
A crust that formed at the start of this past week can be found 35 to 45 cm down in sheltered areas. This crust is widespread and is expected to exist all the way to mountaintops. In exposed areas, the wind has either covered this crust with a wind slab or has completely scoured the snow off of it. Snow that covered the crust as it was forming is bonding well, this may not be the case for new snow that covers it going forward.
The lower snowpack contains a number of crusts but they are not a factor at the moment. It is consolidated and well-settled.
Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy, up to 5 cm accumulation, winds west southwest 20 to 30 km/h, treeline temperatures -7 ºC.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud, up to 5 cm accumulation in some locations by mid-day with another possible 5 cm starting late in the day, winds southerly 20 km/h, treeline temperatures -8 ºC.
Tuesday
Clearing in the morning, trace accumulation, winds northeast 20 km/h, treeline temperatures -6 ºC.
Wednesday
A mix of sun and cloud, no accumulation, winds west 15 km/h, treeline temperatures hovering around -5 ºC.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
