Good skiing can still be found in sheltered treeline and below treeline areas.... but bad skiing can also be found :)
Some alpine windslabs are starting to facet out and provide softer turns.
Enjoy the beautiful blue sky days!
Last week's winds have created widespread wind effect in the alpine, much of this is beginning to facet out. Watch out for stiff windslabs that are hollow underneath.
In some areas, a layer of surface hoar buried on Jan 3rd exists 20–70 cm below the surface. This layer has a firm slab over it. We continue to observe tests showing sudden planar shears, but have not seen avalanche activity on this interface in several days.
Basal facets remain near the ground. The remaining concern centers on the eastern side of the forecast area, particularly in thin to thick snowpack transitions and with large triggers like cornice falls.
No new avalanches were observed or reported on Monday.
Widespread surface hoar has formed on the surface of the snowpack, overlaying a thin, skiable, temperature crust in most locations. This will vary with each valley.
Widespread wind effect is found in the alpine and down into treeline elevations.
In several locations through the region, the January 3rd surface hoar layer exists down 30-100 cm and has been reactive in tests and occasionally with human loads.
Basal facets exist in thinner snowpack areas.
A high-pressure system is expected to remain over the Rockies through the week. A gradual cooling trend will bring temperatures down to as low as −25 later in the week. Ridge winds will be moderate from the north.
