Continue to choose simple, mellow terrain. Signs of buried weak layers may be hard to find.
Remain especially cautious on high northerly slopes & areas without a thick, supportive crust.
The persistent weak layer has recently produced several large to very large avalanches. It remains a concern where there is no thick, supportive crust under the new snow.
Wed: we expect that small wind slab avalanches were easily triggered by humans, but that these slabs will be well bonded to the old surface by Thursday.
Looking forward: Avalanches on buried weak layers may be difficult to trigger, but if one is triggered, it is likely to be large and destructive.
5 cm of recent snow covers a widespread melt-freeze crust that exists everywhere but high north-facing slopes. Westerly winds likely formed deeper pockets in leeward terrain.
The main feature of the region's overall shallow snowpack is a persistent weak layer of surface hoar or facets from late January now buried 40 to 60 cm deep (see photo below). This layer was active during the warm-up and remains a concern where a thick and supportive crust under the new snow hasn't stabilized the snowpack.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear. 10 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level falling to valley bottom. Treeline low -7 °C.
Thursday
Mostly sunny. 10 to 15 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Freezing level rising to 1800 m. Treeline high -2 °C.
Friday
Sunny. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Freezing level falling to valley bottom overnight, rising to 2000 m.
Saturday
Sunny. 40 to 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Freezing level falling to near valley bottom overnight, rising to 2000 m through the day.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
