Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain

TUESDAY NIGHT: Flurries, 5-15 cm snow. Alpine temperatures near -8C. Ridgetop winds light to moderate from the southwest.WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures near -7C. Ridgetop winds light from the northeast.THURSDAY: Cloudy with scattered flurries, trace to 10 cm snow. Alpine temperatures near -8C. Ridgetop winds light from the southeast.FRIDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries, 10-20 cm snow. Alpine temperatures near -8C. Ridgetop winds light gusting moderate from the southwest.

Several large (size 1-2.5) natural wind slab avalanches occurred on all aspects at treeline and above sometime late Friday evening into Saturday. Widespread wind effect was noted through the weekend with scouring and wind-loading on a variety of aspects. Small (size 1-1.5) wind slabs with 30-50 cm crown depths were reactive to skier traffic. Continued reports of whumpfing and cracking at treeline and below suggest the buried SH/crust layer down 40-60cm is still reactive. The destructive potential of avalanches failing on this layer will increase as new snow accumulates and gains cohesion.

Around 25-40 cm storm snow fell on a collection of wind-affected surfaces found at all elevations, in alpine and upper treeline, scoured and wind-pressed surfaces in exposed areas with hard wind slabs in lee features to softer wind slabs and loose, dry snow in sheltered terrain and lower elevations. This recently covered wind-affected snow overlies a variety of snow surfaces: sun crust on southerly aspects to mountain top, variable wind-affect and wind-press in north to westerly terrain, and weak feathery surface hoar crystals down 40-60 cm in sheltered areas at treeline and below. The snowpack now hosts two buried surface hoar layers. The one that was buried on February 1st (down 40-60 cm) seems to be more predominant and reactive to human triggers than the one buried deeper down (60-100 cm). This deeper layer of surface hoar may be most reactive below treeline on shady aspects but doesn't seem to be a widespread problem in the region. Below that, the snowpack is well settled.