WE ARE IN AN AVALANCHE CYCLE. Avoid overhead hazard and choose only simple terrain.
Weather Forecast
Periods of snow with up to 13cm accumulation. This precipitation will fall as rain below 1800m. Light ridgetop winds should accompany the snow fall. Another 15cm of snow along with gusty SW winds is forecast for tonight with freezing level coming down to 1400m. The avalanche danger will remain elevated.
Snowpack Summary
High freezing levels (2100m) along with warm moist air continues to effect the snowpack. 60cm+/- of fresh snow has fallen over the last few days accompanied by moderate southerly winds. This has lead to the formation of touchy warm storm slab at all elevation bands. The persistent weak layer buried late February can be found down 80-140cm.
Avalanche Summary
We are in an avalanche cycle. A dozen natural avalanches to size 3 were observed this morning in the highway corridor with some running to the end of path. Four lower elevation fresh point release slides were observed near Ross Peak slide path. These slides appeared to be digging deeper into the snowpack as the slide debris was dirty.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.