Regions
Northwest Inland.
Caution as you transition into wind exposed terrain, new snow combined with southwest winds have promoted wind slab development at upper elevations
Confidence
Low - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Hungry Hill. 11 in 24 hrs. 1 through the day today, -4.5 and L Etelkwas -10 at 1600m, mainly L W and 5 new in past 24 hrsHudson Bay Mtn: l-m NW wind, temp -12 and 8 cm overnight 9 in 24 hrs
Avalanche Summary
There have not been any recent reports of avalanche activity in the region.
Snowpack Summary
10-15 cm of new snow sits above previous wind-scoured surfaces as well as wind slabs in lee terrain features. Below treeline, expect to find a melt-freeze crust near the snow surface.Beneath you may find a few weak layers in sheltered areas comprising of feathery surface hoar crystals and/or sugary faceted snow. The upper layer was buried around December 31 and is about 20-30 cm deep. The next layer may have been buried around December 22 and is likely 40-60 cm deep. The lower one was buried in early-December and is now approximately 80-120 cm deep. The bottom 30 to 50 cm of the snowpack consists of weak and sugary faceted grains and crusts, particularly in areas where the snowpack is thin. It is possible that shallower avalanches could scrub down to ground in these thin snowpack 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.