A slow warming trend is underway. Warming temperatures and a pulse of snow forecast to start tonight will raise the avalanche hazard significantly.
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures should reach a balmy -13C accompanied by moderate SW winds. A pulse of moisture tonight through Tuesday will lead to an increasing avalanche danger.
Snowpack Summary
Continued moderate S'ly winds are developing thin windslabs in the immediate lee of ridges and along alpine slopes. These slabs are forming over the hard windslabs that formed when the arctic high pressure moved in. Flurries will be falling on needle like surface hoar in many locations below treeline.
Avalanche Summary
Three slab avalanches ranging from size 1-2.5 were recorded in the highway corridor yesterday.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
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.