Early season observations are limited. Make conservative terrain choices as you get familiar with the snowpack, practice your rescue skills, and get your winter legs under you.
Expect to find human triggerable wind slabs, even at low elevations. They may be more reactive if they form on weak, sugary facets above a crust. Below treeline, there may not be enough snow to avalanche, but wind-loading could change that.
Reports of recent avalanches have been limited to a couple small, human triggered slabs on cutbanks.
On Friday, we expect that the wind will form fresh, human triggerable slabs at all elevations.
If you are getting out in the backcountry, consider making a post on the MIN (Mountain Information Network)
Around 50 cm of recent snow is likely being redistributed by strong easterly winds from the alpine down to below treeline. Expect wind slabs at lower elevations than usual.
Below this, facets or surface hoar may overly a crust buried in early November.
At the north end of the forecast area, expect to find weak, sugary depth hoar close to the ground.
Treeline snowpack depths are expected to average around 100 cm.
In many places below treeline, ground roughness is still visible, and the snow depth is likely below the threshold for avalanches.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy with no new snow expected. 0-10 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -13 °C.
Friday
Mostly cloudy with no new snow expected. 40-80 km/h east wind at ridgetop and lower elevations. Treeline temperature -9 °C.
Saturday
Cloudy with 2 - 7 cm of snow expected. 40-70 km/h southeast wind at ridgetop and lower elevations. Treeline temperature - 17 °C.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with 2-4 cm of snow expected. 25-50 km/h east wind at ridgetop and lower elevations. Treeline temperature -13 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
