Cornices
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Unlikely
- Size
- 1
No avalanches have been reported in the past week. There have been ongoing moderate to gale force wind events, shifting winds, and light to moderate amounts of blowing snow for many days now. For the most part, the snow available to drift and deposit as unstable wind slabs is extremely limited, especially where capped by rain crust below 9,000'. If you encounter a smooth looking, not icy area near treeline or above treeline, you may have found the isolated, potentially unstable wind slab. Move around it with caution.
While some warming and snow surface melt is expected today on southerly aspects, the expected amount of wet snow formation is unlikely to create much in the way of a loose wet avalanche problem. Expect more warming and wet snow formation around exposed rocks. If you encounter a few inches or more of surface wet snow, manage for a loose wet avalanche problem.
The challenge with isolated instability is that when encountering slope after slope of stable snow, our human brains get lazy, turn off, and we let down our guard. During periods of LOW danger, travel avalanche terrain using the tactics of Normal Caution, just as if the danger rating were higher in order to minimize exposure and consequences from an unexpected human triggered avalanche. If venturing into couloirs, cliff areas, or other complex terrain where snowpack variability is usually greater, expect a greater likelihood of finding that isolated area of unstable snow.