Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain for the entire period
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries picking up throughout the day. Moderate to strong southwesterly winds with freezing levels in valley bottoms. Thursday: Expect 5-10cm of new snow by the morning with cloudy skies and isolated flurries throughout the day, winds should ease off and freezing levels are expected to remain in valley bottoms. Friday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, light to moderate winds and freezing levels remaining in valley bottoms.
Avalanche Summary
Recent activity has been limited to isolated relatively harmless wet loose snow avalanches on sun-exposed slopes.
Snowpack Summary
In general, the region has a relatively shallow, faceted, and wind-affected snowpack that is well settled with progressively stiffer and stronger snow with depth. Large surface hoar growth and surface faceting continues in sheltered and shady areas, while sun-exposed slopes have been subject to melt-freeze cycles. Open unprotected areas are highly wind-effected with scoured areas, hard wind slab, sastrugi, and delicate cornices. All of these current snow surfaces will likely provide a poor bond once buried, and will be especially concerning when and where a sufficiently deep and cohesive slab develops.
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.