Investigate new snow amounts and reactivity in an initial assessment travel mode on Tuesday. Raise your guard as you approach exposed terrain where overlapping wind slabs and persistent slabs demand thoughtful terrain selection.
Snowfall and southwest winds formed reactive wind slabs throughout the day on Monday. North through east aspects in exposed areas will be the most likely places to trigger one.
A number of buried weak layers remain possible to trigger. These layers appear to be most problematic in upper treeline and alpine elevations, in shallow, variable, rocky start zones. A sensitive wind slab overlying this problem could serve as the perfect trigger for a destructive step-down avalanche.
We don't yet have observations from Monday's storm, however it's likely an uptick in natural storm and/or wind slabs occurred as moderate snowfall and high winds took over the region.
A MIN report from Sunday gives an indication of wind slab hazards that existed in the region in advance of our most recent snow and wind. Slabs that are a step larger will need to be managed on Tuesday, in addition to the uncertain effects of the increased load on our buried persistent weak layers.
On Friday a natural avalanche cycle up to size 3 took place in the south west corner of the forecast region. These avalanches failed on the late January crust.
If you are out in the backcountry please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report.
Ongoing snowfall and southwest winds have accumulated around 50-60 cm of storm snow that is continuously being blown into wind slabs. This growing storm total sits on a crust from the warming event on January 25th and will need time to form a solid bond.
The mid and lower snowpack continues to bond and stabilize. A few concerning weak layers can still be found in the top meter of the snowpack including a surface hoar layer from early January and a crust from late December.
Monday night
Clearing. Winds easing to light southwest.
Tuesday
Increasing cloud with flurries bringing up to 5 cm of new snow. Light southwest winds. Treeline high temperatures around -8.
Wednesday
A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Light to moderate southwest winds shifting southeast and increasing. Treeline high temperatures around -10.
Thursday
Cloudy with continuing flurries bringing 5-10 cm of new snow, including overnight amounts. Strong south winds. Treeline high temperatures around -3.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
