Areas east of the divide have a weaker, thinner, more facetted snowpack, while areas along the divide and further west have a slightly thicker snowpack that is more supportive and a little more confidence inspiring.
At lower elevations in all areas the snowpack is still thin with difficult travel and early season hazards present.
Previous SW/W winds created wind slabs in lee features of the alpine. Our main concern is areas where these slabs sit over a weak facetted midpack and are more likely to be triggered. Avalanche activity has tapered, but with increasing winds it is worth paying attention to any wind loading.
Two weak layers near the base of the snowpack (Oct 20 and Nov 9) are producing slab avalanches down about 60-100 cm. Any areas with a stiffer slab over the mid pack facets have the potential to step down to these layers, though the layers have been most reactive in steep, thin, wind affected spots.
No new avalanches observed or reported on Friday or Saturday.
Earlier in the week, ski hills have triggered isolated wind slabs and a number of deep persistent avalanches with explosives, but there has been an improving trend.
Trace amounts of precip Saturday overlies windslabs in wind-prone alpine areas and in sheltered locations, 10-40 cm of soft snow that sits on a layer of facets, suncrust. Below this it is facetted and weak in eastern areas; and deeper and denser in western areas. Two crust/facet layers exist at the bottom of the snowpack (Nov. 9th and Oct. 20th interfaces). Total snowpack depths at treeline are about 60 cm in eastern areas with up to 100 cm in thicker western areas
Tonight:Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries.Precip: Trace.Alpine temps: Low -9 °C.Ridge wind southwest: 15 km/h gusting to 50 km/h.
Sunday:Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries.Precip: Trace.Alpine temperature: High -10 °C.Ridge wind west: 15 km/h gusting to 40 km/h.Freezing level at valley bottom.
Monday:Cloudy with sunny periods.Alpine temperature: Low -13 °C, High -12 °C.Ridge wind light to 20 km/h.
