Winds are once again driving avalanche danger. Seek out sheltered areas where soft snow may exist. Take care around ridgelines and freshly wind loaded features.
Expect greater storm totals and larger slabs in the White Pass area.
Expect wind slabs on east facing terrain features. While slabs are expected to be small they may be reactive to human triggers as they have formed over a crust on south facing slopes and on hard surfaces elsewhere.
Old hard wind slabs might still be reactive to human triggers or natural triggers like large cornice falls. Avoid steep, unsupported slopes that sound drum-like or hollow.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy, up to 5 cm of snow is expected. White Pass may see locally heavier amounts of around 10 cm. Moderate to light southwest winds. Freezing level valley bottom.
SUNDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries possible. Light to moderate southeast winds in general, however northern areas may see a switch to northerly winds at low elevations. Freezing levels at valley bottom. Alpine high of -12.
MONDAY: Snow begins overnight with 3 cm possible by morning and another 3 cm over the day. Partly cloudy with strong southerly winds. Freezing levels at valley bottom, alpine high of -9.
TUESDAY: Light snowfall continues with moderate southwest winds. Freezing level at valley bottom. Alpine high of -3.
No new avalanches have been reported since Saturday.
If you head out into the mountains, please let us know what you see on the Mountain Information Network.
Fresh wind affected slabs are building over a previously heavily wind affected snowpack. On steep, south facing terrain new snow may sit over a crust, increasing reactivity.
A crust is buried 20-40cm deep on south facing terrain. On other aspects, an interface of weak facetted crystals exists at this depth. These layers have not shown recent avalanche activity.
The lower snowpack is thought to be 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.
