Older wind slabs linger and might still be reactive to human triggers. Avoid slopes that sound hollow or drum-like. Wind from the southwest will form fresh wind slabs where soft snow is available for transport.
Moderate to strong southwest wind will form isolated wind slabs throughout the day in areas where soft snow is available for transport.
Old hard wind slabs might still be reactive to human triggers and result in large avalanches. Avoid steep, unsupported slopes that sound drum-like or hollow.
Wednesday night: Increasing cloud cover, trace of new snow, moderate southwest wind, alpine low -12 °C.
Thursday: Cloudy, up to 2 cm snow, moderate to strong southwest wind, alpine high -5 °C.
Friday: Cloudy, up to 5 cm snow, moderate to strong southwest wind, alpine high -4 °C.
Saturday: Cloudy, up to 5 cm snow, moderate to strong west and southwest wind, alpine high -6 °C.
Explosives triggered a cornice that resulted in a size 3 avalanche on Tuesday. Three small wind slabs were observed on Monday.
A natural cycle with wind slab avalanches up to size 2.5 occurred on Sunday.
Skiers were surprised by wind slab avalanches on north and northeast aspects in the White Pass area on Friday. The slabs were about 20 cm thick and the avalanches reached up to size 2. Slabs were still reactive to skier traffic on Saturday.
The snow surface is heavily wind affected, and soft powder can only be found in the most wind sheltered places. On steep, sun-exposed aspects, there is potential for the existence of a sun crust. 20-40 cm of recent snow are sitting on old, firm surfaces and a crust on solar aspects. The bond between the recent snow and old firm surfaces was reactive to skier traffic last weekend.
The lower snowpack is well bridged by the layers above, and it is unlikely that avalanches will be triggered on weak, sugary crystals near the ground at this time.
