Regions
Northwest Inland.
Saturday's snowfall amounts will likely vary throughout the region. Areas to the west may receive more snow, and the Avalanche Danger may be higher than posted.
Weather Forecast
On Sunday morning expect lingering flurries with clearing throughout the day. On Monday and Tuesday the region should see a mix of sun and cloud as a dry ridge of high pressure starts to develop. Ridgetop winds should remain mainly light for the forecast period. Alpine temperatures will hover between -16 and -20 for all 3 days.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches have been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Light amounts (5-15cm) of new snow have fallen with higher amounts expected in the west of the region. Strong southwest winds have likely shifted the new snow into fresh and reactive wind slabs in upper elevation lee terrain. We're still dealing with a thin, early-season snow pack for much of the Northwest Inland region. Between 80 and 100 cm of snow can be found at tree-line in the south and west of the region, with closer to 60 cm in the east. A weak basal layer probably exists in most areas and I suspect that the recent cold temperatures have continued to create weak faceted crystals in the snowpack, especially in shallow, rocky areas.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.