Temperatures are expected to slowly warm, expect this to increase the sensitivity of wind slabs to human triggering.
10-20 cm of recent new snow and winds switching direction are promoting fresh wind slab development over previously wind affected surfaces and in some places weak facetted snow.
On Friday, a natural avalanche cycle occurred near White water with large storm slab avalanches observed up to size 2.5. Many naturally triggered wind slab avalanches have been reported with most being large, between size 1.5 and 2.0. Extensive explosive control at a number of professional operations, produced large both wind and storm slab avalanches up to size 2.5.
10-15 cm of new snow has likely covered weak, faceted snow in many areas and wind-affected surfaces in open areas at all elevations.
A layer of surface hoar is found down 70 cm in sheltered, north-facing terrain. This layer appears as a sun crust on south-facing slopes. As temperatures slowly warm expect this layer to become reactive to human triggering.
A thick crust deep in the snowpack largely protects any weak layers further down in the snowpack from being triggered.
Friday Night
Cloudy. 2-4 cm of snow expected. Light to moderate west and southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -10 °C.
Saturday
Mainly cloudy. 1 to 5 cm of snow expected. Light to moderate southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -5 °C.
SundayMainly cloudy. 1 to 5 cm of snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around -1 °C.
MondayMainly cloudy. 1 to 5 cm of snow expected. Light southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature around 0 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
