Regions
Northwest Inland.
Light new snow amounts and shifting winds are keeping wind slab problems alive in the region. Keep searching out sheltered areas for the safest and best quality skiing and riding.
Weather Forecast
Friday night: Cloudy with continuing flurries bringing around 5 cm of new snow. Winds switching to light or moderate southeast.Saturday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Moderate southeast winds. Alpine high temperatures around -19.Sunday: Sunny. Light to moderate northeast winds. Alpine high temperatures around -15.Monday: Sunny. Strong northeast winds. Alpine high temperatures around -15.
Avalanche Summary
A few small wind slab avalanches were triggered by skiers and naturally on Wednesday. They were on all aspects, in steep terrain, and at treeline and alpine elevations. The slabs were generally 10 to 20 cm deep.
Snowpack Summary
The storm that began on Thursday is expected to deliver 10 to 15 cm of new snow by the time it ends on Friday night. The new snow adds to 5 to 10 cm of snow we received on Tuesday. Forecast winds are expected to shift from west to east, meaning that new wind slabs will likely exist on varied aspects, as well as in cross-loaded terrain features on Saturday. In sheltered areas at and below treeline, the new snow has buried pockets of feathery surface hoar crystals and soft, faceted snow.In the south of the region, the remainder of the snowpack is well-settled. In the north of the region, around 50 cm of snow may overly a weak layer of surface hoar or faceted grains.
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.