Regions
Northwest Inland.
Avalanche hazard will likely be on the rise as forecast storm snow begins to stack up.
Confidence
Fair - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Sunday
Weather Forecast
Saturday morning is expected to be unsettled with light flurries before another weakened system in the afternoon, with freezing levels remaining around 1200 m. Expect another 5-10 cm by Sunday morning falling under strong southwesterly winds, and additional light amounts on Sunday with freezing levels remaining around 1300 m. Another 5-10 cm is expected for Monday with moderate to strong southerly winds and freezing levels remaining around 1300 m.
Avalanche Summary
Reports from Thursday include continued natural wet loose avalanche activity up to Size 2 on steep rocky slopes.
Snowpack Summary
Another 10 cm of drier snow adds to the 10-25 cm of recent wet snow. Weaknesses buried in the upper snowpack may include hard crusts and/or facet crystals, although not much is known about the reactivity or spatial distribution of these layers. At the base of the snowpack, weak facets may be found. Cornices are large and potentially fragile. Unpredictable, full-depth glide avalanches are also a concern on low elevation slopes with smooth ground cover (grassy slopes, rock slabs, etc.) where large cracks have formed from the snowpack slipping on the ground.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.