It is time to go after big goals and explore. Isolated wind slab pockets in the alpine can be managed with normal caution.
Summary
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY NIGHT: Clear, light southwest wind, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 1900 mSATURDAY: Mainly sunny, light westerly wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1900 mSUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light west wind, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 2000 mMONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light to moderate easterly wind, alpine temperature -2, freezing level 2100 m
Avalanche Summary
On Thursday several skier triggered up to size 1.5 wind slab avalanches at isolated terrain features as for example along ridges were reported.Over the past couple of days several loose dry and wind slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were observed on northerly aspects in the alpine and at treeline. A few wet loose avalanches up to size 2 were also observed on solar aspects.
Snowpack Summary
The recently formed wind slabs in the alpine are bonding well to the underlying layers, but there might still be isolated pockets which can be triggered by humans especially along ridge crests (
see the MIN report of our field team here). On higher north aspects above 2000 m the recent new snow is gradually bonding with the dry, faceted [weak and sugary] snow underneath. In most other places the new snow is sitting on either moist snow or a crust. Below 1800 m the entire snowpack is isothermal [wet and slushy] underneath the melt/freeze crust.
ldreier,
Avalanche Canada
