Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Regions
South Coast Inland.
Continue to watch for wind slabs at higher elevations.
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace accumulation, light to moderate northeast wind, alpine temperature -10 C.THURSDAY: Clear skies, light northwest wind, alpine temperature -12 C.FRIDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, moderate southwest wind, alpine temperature -11 C.SATURDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -11 C.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported on Tuesday. Over the long weekend, there were numerous reports of wind slab avalanches being triggered. Check out the many MIN reports here for some great observations. In general, small to large (size 1 to 2) wind slabs were triggered in steep alpine terrain. They were 10 to 30 cm deep and on southwest to northwest aspects.
Snowpack Summary
Snow surface conditions are variable. At higher elevations, wind slabs may exist in lee terrain features from recent snowfall and strong winds blowing in variable directions. These slabs may overly weak faceted grains. In sheltered areas, around 10 to 20 cm of low-density faceted snow may be found, possibly sitting on weak surface hoar and a smooth melt-freeze crust. On southerly slopes, moist snow or a thin melt-freeze crust is to be expected. The remainder of the snowpack is generally well-settled.
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.