Avalanche hazard will be on the rise with approaching storms systems. Weak layers that have formed during the dry period will be loaded. Consider much more conservative routes for the next few days.
Weather Forecast
Westerly flow producing a series of Pacific frontal systems to approach the Interior this week. The first will approach us this afternoon with light to moderate amounts of snow into tomorrow morning. A short lull between storms tomorrow when a more significant system approaches Tuesday night giving more precipitation and rising freezing levels.
Snowpack Summary
A variety of surfaces exists including hard slab, loose, cold facets, and breakable crust. Wind slabs are present in exposed terrain on many aspects due to reverse loading winds over the last 2 days. 2 buried surface hoar layers are present in the upper 15 cm of snow, waiting to be loaded by the incoming storm. The mid pack is well settled.
Avalanche Summary
Ski-cuts are producing fast sluffing to size 1 in the upper 5-15cm in loose, faceted snow, entraining mass and flowing into low angle terrain over 250-300m downhill. While these sluffs were not big enough to bury a person, you would certainly be pushed over by them.1 natural size 2.0 avalanche east of the rogers Pass summit from Mt Macdonald.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
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.