Pay attention to the wind as you travel. Overnight snowfall adds to the significant amount of snow available for transport.
Watch for wind slabs on all aspects, winds are expected to vary from east to northwest on Saturday.
Fresh snow and wind provides new potential for reactive wind slab development. Winds will switch from E to NW - check for wind loading on all aspects around ridgelines and watch for mid slope cross-loaded features like gullies and ribs as you descend.
Older larger wind slabs from NW winds may be found below new storm snow, likely more stubborn to human triggers.
We expect a small natural cycle of avalanche activity may occur within the storm snow with the incoming weather, primarily in wind affected features.
Last weekends heavy snowfall produced a large natural avalanche cycle.
Up to 20 cm of fresh storm snow is expected by Sunday morning. This will sit over wind affected, settling snow from last weeks heavy snowfall. Recent MIN reports noted the highly variable deposits of wind affected snow, finding pockets from 40-150 cm, and active wind loading occurring in many areas over the week.
A hard melt freeze crusts sits below this settling storm snow. Reports suggest the recent storm snow is well bonded to the crust, however larger avalanches are still possible to 'step down' to this layer where a weaker bond exists, more likely in shallow areas.
The lower snowpack below this crust is dense and well bonded from previous rainfall.
Friday Night
Snow continues overnight with 5-15 cm expected by morning, SE winds up to 40 km/hr ease to NE 20 km/hr as snowfall tapers off.
Saturday
Up to 5cm of snow expected. Light N winds shift NW and increase to 60 km/hr. Skies remain cloudy. High temperature of -9 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy. Snow redeveloping around midday, up to 5cm possible. Strong W winds expected, up to 60 km/hr. High temperature of -6°C.
Monday
Clearing skies, no snowfall expected. NW winds ease to 20 km/hr. High temperature of -13 °C.
Tuesday
Increasing cloud, E/NE winds. Flurries possible. The next active system bringing significant snowfall is expected on Friday.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
