Keeping up safe travel habits is always a good idea in a shallow snowpack like the east slope of the Rockies. Shallow rocky start zones are the most likely to produce an unexpected avalanche.
Winds are forecast to increase building fresh slabs from loose snow. Older deposits of wind-loaded snow in shallow, rocky areas should be treated with caution. An avalanche in an area fitting this profile was triggered last Sunday.
A size 2 slab avalanche was reported from the Tom's Lake area last Sunday. Check out the MIN report here. It's an older report, but remains relevant since the avalanche appears to have failed on weak, faceted snow in the mid or lower snowpack, which won't disappear anytime soon. It's a good reminder that even old wind loaded pockets in otherwise thin, rocky snowpack areas should be treated with caution.
Keep posting your observations to the Mountain Information Network!
Surface conditions in the region are predominantly wind-affected, some of it more recent with light snow and elevated winds toward the end of the week.
Limited soft snow may be found on the surface in more sheltered areas above 1500 m. Below this elevation and on solar aspects, minimal new snow amounts should overlie a near-surface crust.
The snowpack in this region is otherwise shallow with the middle and base mostly made up of weak, sugary facet crystals along with a crust at the base of the snowpack. Steep terrain where old wind slabs may linger over these weak early season grains are the main avalanche concern in the region.
Sunday night
Mostly clear. 30 to 60 km/h west ridgetop wind, increasing. Treeline low temperature -17 °C.
Monday
Mix of sun and cloud. 50 to 80 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -5 °C with a possible above freezing layer around 2500 m.
Tuesday
Sunny. 25 to 50 km/h west ridgetop wind, easing. Treeline high temperature around -10° C. with temperature inversion breaking down.
Wednesday
Isolated flurries, up to 5 cm of new snow. 30 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature -5 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
