Regions
Northwest Inland.
Some snow in the forecast but not enough to influence avalanche danger in the short term.
Confidence
Low - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries, accumulation overnight Thursday into Friday 5cm / Moderate to strong southwest wind / Alpine temperature -3 SATURDAY: Cloudy with flurries / moderate southwest wind / Alpine temperature -5 SUNDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries / Light to moderate south wind / Alpine temperature -4
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported in the past few days.
Snowpack Summary
Surface snow has been affected by winds from a variety of directions. The degree of wind effect varies throughout the region. Sheltered areas may still have 10-30 cm of powder from previous storms. A variable weak layer that formed in mid-December can be found roughly 20 cm below the surface. This mid-December layer is comprised of crusts on solar aspects and feathery surface hoar in sheltered locations.The lower snowpack is generally well settled with two prominent crusts. The late-November crust can be found 30-50 cm below the surface and the October crust is near the base of the snowpack.
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.