A big change in the weather is coming - warm temperatures! This may mean that slabs become more sensitive to triggering, and certain terrain (such as steep solar aspects and cornices) should be avoided.
Surface wind slabs and buried wind slabs are present at Treeline and above. Snowpack tests today indicate that these slabs are sensitive to human triggering. The warming trend on Sunday may make these slabs more sensitive.
The big weather change arriving on Sunday may lead to some steep solar aspects becoming problematic, especially after mid-day. Be aware of the terrain around you.
The basal weaknesses are still very scary. Forecasters continue to treat big terrain that has not yet slid this season with a large amount of caution.
The cold snap should finally end on Sunday! Mostly sunny skies and temps between -5 and -10 at upper elevations. Winds will be strong from the SW and no precipitation is expected.
One slab avalanche was noted today on a steep Alpine feature on a NW aspect. This slide was full depth and fairly narrow, but ran approximately 250m. It occurred sometime in the past 24 hours.
Wind slabs are present at Treeline and above on N, E and S aspects, while W aspects are scoured down to rock. Ski cutting produced some cracking today on wind loaded slopes immediately below ridge-crest, which indicates that human triggering is possible in the right terrain. Despite a week of very cold temperatures the mid-pack is holding onto it's strength, except in shallow snowpack areas. The basal facets and depth hoar are as bad as ever and are here to stay for the foreseeable future.
