Snow that has accumulated this week is now being turned into wind slabs by light to moderate southerly winds.
Use caution as you transition into wind affected terrain.
Moderate to strong southerly winds will have developed fresh wind slabs at higher elevations. Expect to find wind slabs in exposed areas that are also below the treeline.
Wind slabs may be sitting on a crust making them especially reactive to ridder triggering.
No new avalanches have been reported on Friday. Snowpack test reports have shown that there may be instability within the storm snow that fell this past week.
On Thursday, there have been reports of widespread wet loose avalanches throughout our region on all aspects below 1500 m. Even with cooling temperatures, this may continue into Friday.
Please continue to post your reports and photos to the Mountain Information Network.
Around 45 of recent snow now sits on a variety of surfaces. It will have been redistributed at higher elevations by southerly winds.
A melt-freeze crust formed in mid-January is now buried 60 to 80 cm deep. At the moment this layer is gaining strength. The snow below this layer is consolidating nicely. Buried up to 120 cm is another layer of concern, a crust, formed near the end of December.
Snowpack depths are below seasonal averages. Total amounts range from 150 to 200 cm at treeline, but decrease significantly below 1500 m.
Friday Night
Mainly cloudy with clear periods, up to 5 cm accumulation, winds southwest 20 to 30 km/h, treeline -4 °C and cooling.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy, trace accumulation, winds west southwest 25 to 30 km/h, treeline -6 °C.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy, up to 10 cm accumulation starting in the late afternoon and continuing into the evening, winds southwest 25 to 40 km/h, treeline -2 °C.
Monday
Cloudy, 10 cm accumulation, winds southwest 40 km/h, treeline -5 °.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
