Wind slabs at upper elevations are the main concern. Avalanches are unlikely where a thick supportive crust caps the upper snowpack.
Wind has recently switched direction from southwest to northwest and back again. At treeline elevations, wind slabs may overly a crust which may make for a favourable sliding surface.
Tuesday Night: Cloudy with isolated flurries. Light to moderate west wind. Alpine high -10 C.
Wednesday: Flurries, accumulation 5-10 cm. Moderate to strong west wind. Alpine high -4 C. Freezing level 600 m.
Thursday: Cloudy with isolated flurries. Light to moderate northwest wind. Alpine high -3 C. Freezing level 800 m.
Friday: Cloudy with sunny breaks. Light to northwest wind. Alpine high -3 C. Freezing level 700 m.
There have been new reports of avalanche activity in the past few days. Small loose dry avalanches running on rain crust were observed in wind sheltered areas on Sunday.
Wind switching directions has redistributed recent new snow onto a variety of aspects. As high as 2000 m, the upper snowpack contains a series of crusts from recent warming and rain events.
A layer of surface hoar is buried 100-150 cm below the surface in sheltered areas around treeline but has not been associated with avalanche activity recently. Weak facet/crust layers near the base of the snowpack are particularly noteworthy in the western Boundary area.
