Forecast new snow and wind will continue to develop storm slabs over surface hoar and crusts. Expect remote triggering and wide fracture propagations resulting in large avalanches. Conservative terrain selection is essential.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Sunday
Weather Forecast
Cloud developing Saturday evening, and then strong southerly winds with 5-10 cm of new snow overnight. The freezing level should dip down to 1000 metres overnight and then climb up to 1500 metres on Sunday. Another 5-10 cm of new snow during the day Sunday combined with strong southwest winds. Freezing levels dropping to valley bottoms by Monday morning. Mostly sunny on Monday with strong solar radiation and freezing levels around 1500 metres. Cloudy with light precipitation on Tuesday.
Avalanche Summary
Natural avalanches continued to release down 40-60 cm on Friday up to size 2.5. Reports from Thursday that several natural size 2.0 slab avalanches and one size 3.0 storm slab were suspected to have released on the late February surface hoar layer. There was also a report of a size 3.0 avalanche remotely triggered by a skier that was 20 metres away.
Snowpack Summary
New snow continues to develop the storm slab that is 40-60cm thick and bonding poorly to a crust on previously sun-exposed slopes and surface hoar (February 27th or late February) on shady and sheltered slopes. Thicker and touchier wind slabs are lurking throughout exposed terrain at and above treeline. A couple of sun crusts might exist in the upper 50-70cm on southerly aspects. The surface hoar and/or crust layer which was buried February 10 is now down around a metre and is still producing isolated hard sudden results in snowpack tests. Large cornices will be getting weak with warmer temperatures.