While avalanche hazard is improving with cooling temperatures, human-triggered persistent slab avalanches remain a concern in areas not capped by a thick surface crust.
Concern remains for human-triggering the persistent weak layer on sheltered north aspects above 1800 m. If triggered avalanches will be large and destructive. Avoid shallow snowpack areas where triggering is more likely.
No new avalanches were reported in the region on Wednesday.
On Sunday, a size 1.5, skier remote, persistent slab avalanche was reported on a northwest aspect at 2200 m. This is evidence that the persistent weak layer is still a concern for human triggering.
Through the prolonged warming event, avalanche activity in the region was observed up to size 4.5. Evidence of this natural avalanche cycle will still be visible to backcountry users who head into the mountains on Friday.
A dusting of snow overlies a melt-freeze crust that varies in thickness but is present at all elevations. The exception is on direct north-facing terrain above 1900 m where the snow surface remained dry through the prolonged warming. Below the crust, the upper 30 cm of the snowpack remains moist.
60 to 170 cm down is a layer of facets overlying a crust. This layer has been the culprit in recent human-triggered avalanches. It remains a concern on northerly aspects above 1800 m, where the layer is still possible to human-trigger.
Below the crust, the snowpack is well settled.
Thursday Night
Cloudy with 0 to 1 cm of snow. 10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing level 1400m.
Friday
Cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. 10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1°C. Freezing levels 1600m.
Saturday
Cloudy with 1 to 5 cm of snow. 15 to 30 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3°C. Freezing levels 1500m.
Sunday
Mainly sunny. 40 to 50 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2°C. Freezing levels 1600m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
