Travel conservatively if you make it high enough to where the recent precipitation fell as snow. This new snow may not bond well to underlying layers.
Weather Forecast
SATURDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, moderate southwest winds, treeline temperature -1 C, freezing level 900 m.SUNDAY: Clearing skies, light northwest winds, treeline temperature -1 C, freezing level 1000 m.MONDAY: Clear with afternoon clouds, light west winds, treeline temperature -3 C, freezing level 700 m.TUESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, light to moderate southwest winds, treeline temperature -2 C, freezing level 800 m.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanches were noted in the region. However, it is possible that a natural avalanche cycle occurred Thursday night during the height of the storm and potentially more activity during Friday night’s storm.
Snowpack Summary
Around 100 mm of water equivalent feel on Thursday and Friday nights, with the freezing level varying between 1200 and 1500 m. Therefore, expect around 100 cm of snow to have fallen in alpine terrain, a mix of dry snow and crusts at treeline, and a rain-soaked snowpack that will freeze into a thick crust below treeline.At high elevations, the snow may have fallen onto a sun crust on southerly aspects and feathery surface hoar in sheltered and shaded areas. The new snow may not bond well to these layers.Below this, the snowpack is well-settled.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.