Stick to conservative terrain—storm slabs are touchier in sheltered areas where they sit over surface hoar.
Back off if you see signs of instability like avalanches, cracking, or whumpfs.
Up to 40 cm of new storm snow has formed a reactive slab over a widespread crust.
In sheltered treeline and below treeline features where surface hoar is present, the storm slab will be touchier and remote triggering is possible.
No new avalanches have been reported in the past week. Signs of instability like shooting cracks and whumpfs over the surface hoar were reported in the Pine Pass on Thursday.
New snow accumulating over the surface hoar, is expected to have triggered a cycle of natural and human-triggered avalanches on Friday.
If you are getting out, please share observations like avalanches, weather, and riding conditions to the Mountain Information Network.
30-50 cm of new snow at treeline sits on surface hoar over a widespread crust. With warm temperatures throughout the storm, this likely fell as rain as high as 1600 m in some areas of the region.
This new snow was accompanied by moderate to strong southwest winds, meaning that the crust has likely remained on the surface of southerly aspects, while deeper deposits will be found on north and east aspects. The surface hoar is largest on sheltered treeline and below-treeline features.
The lower snowpack is well settled.
Check out this MIN from the Pine Pass for more details.
Friday Night
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1300 m
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow at treeline. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 4 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1600 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
