Monitor recent wind loading patterns to move around new wind slabs. Choosing moderate-angled slopes with uniform coverage is a good way to avoid both surface slabs and deeper problems.
Steady light snowfall and southwest winds have been building wind slabs in leeward terrain features.
Importantly, wind slab avalanches may step down to deeper layers, resulting in larger avalanches.
A persistent weak layer is buried 1 - 2 m. This is a low-probability, high-consequence problem. Signs of instability may not be obvious. The best defence is smaller, low-consequence terrain.
There was a remote-triggered wind slab in the Seaton area on Friday. Check out the MIN report here. Similar slopes should be eyed up critically.
On Tuesday, the field team saw a cornice-triggered size 3 persistent slab (NE aspect). It ran to valley bottom and is a good example of the persistent problem affecting the region. There have been no other recent report of avalanches, but observations are limited.
If you are heading out, post a Mountain Information Network report!
About 15 cm of snow from the past few days has been redistributed by strong southwest winds, creating wind-affected surfaces and wind slabs in exposed alpine and upper treeline terrain. In more sheltered areas, the new snow has buried 20 to 40 cm of older faceted snow. This should be settling increasingly well with recent mild temperatures. On steep solar aspects, particularly below 1700 m, the new snow likely sits over sun crust.
A thick crust from late January can be found at a wide range of depths, from 75 to 150 cm. Where it is shallowest, facets are most likely to exist above it, and the more problematic it is expected to be.
We do not have concerns about the snowpack below this layer.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy with scattered light flurries and a trace of new snow. 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -3 °C.
Sunday
Increasingly cloudy with flurries increasing near end-of-day bringing an initial 1 to 2 cm of new snow, light rain below about 1200 m. 15 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind, increasing. Treeline high temperature -1 °C as freezing level climbs to 1300 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy with some clearing near end-of-day. Increasingly wet snowfall bringing 15 to 30 cm of new snow to higher alpine, diminishing with elevation to mainly rain below about 1200 m. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature 0 °C with freezing level starting at 1500 to 1600 m and falling over the day.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud after overnight flurries finish with about 5 cm of new snow. 20 to 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind, easing. Treeline high temperature -2 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
