Weather Forecast
Increasing cloud cover with light snow flurries will begin Tuesday afternoon and carry through to Thursday with only slight snow accumulations. Sometime on Thursday afternoon there should be an increase in snowfall through Friday and into the weekend. Weather models are uncertain as to the timing and intensity of these snowfalls on the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
Variable windslabs exist at ridgetop and exposed alpine/ treeline locations. Where the snow is deeper, a solid midpack bridges the weaker layers below. Surface conditions range from wind scoured rocky patches, to sustrugi, to hard slab, with the rare pocket of sheltered soft snow offering a few turns. Un-supportive facets dominate lower elevations.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed in the area today. It has been a while since any significant avalanche activity occurred.
Confidence
Timing of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Thursday
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.