Happy New Year! Have a safe start to this new year by avoiding wind-loaded areas and practicing good travel habits. Recently formed wind slabs overlie a slick crust and are may remain reactive to human triggering.
Strong southerly winds have redistributed 15 - 30 cm of new snow into deep deposits of wind slabs at higher elevations. These wind slabs may remain reactive to human triggering, particularly where they overlie a slick crust.
No recent avalanche activity has been reported.
Please continue to post your observations and photos to the Mountain Information Network.
This week, 15-40 cm of storm snow was accompanied by strong southwest winds, creating hard wind-affected surfaces in open areas, and wind slabs in lee terrain features. This new snow overlies a rain crust formed earlier in the week.
The mid-snowpack is well-settled. The lower snowpack consists of several crusts with weak faceted crystals above and below that are beginning to heal and bond to each other.
Snowpack depths are roughly 140 to 180 cm at treeline.
Saturday night
Cloudy with clear periods and isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures drop to a low of -3 °C. Ridge wind light to 25 km/h from the southwest. Freezing level drops to 300 metres.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -2 °C. Ridge wind light to 15 km/h from the southwest. Freezing level rises to 800 metres.
MondayA mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -3 °C. Ridge wind light to 20 km/h from the south. Freezing level rises to 700 metres.
TuesdayA mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -1 °C. Ridge wind light to 25 km/h from the southwest. Freezing level rises to 600 metres.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
