Good ski conditions continue at Rogers Pass. Today, watch for daytime warming of surface snow, especially on steep solar slopes, and slabs in the alpine. Cornices and glide cracks are both getting larger and should be avoided.
Weather Forecast
Clear skies will give way to clouds as a weak upper trough moves through today. Local light snow flurries are possible. Another ridge is building for Thursday, with the potential for an inversion. Solar radiation may be a factor today and tomorrow, especially on steep solar aspects.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack remains strong. Some wind slab has been noted on wind exposed slopes, but this problem is fairly isolated. Surface hoar and surface faceting has been observed from 2000 meters to the valley floor, and is best developed between1700-1800 meters. Some sluffing of surface snow has also been noted.
Avalanche Summary
Very few avalanches noted in the highway corridor over the past few days. This lack of natural activity is a good indicator that the snowpack is mostly stable. Some surface sluffing from skiers has also been observed.
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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.