Firm wind slabs are often stubborn to trigger so they can surprise you once you hit that weak spot. Seek out sheltered terrain in side valleys for the best riding.
Northerly winds continue to transport what loose snow is left into windslabs. Older wind slabs formed over the weekend will remain triggerable due to the cold temperatures.
A weak layer of surface hoar buried about 100 cm deep produced large, widely propagating avalanches on northerly aspects in alpine terrain in January and February. Though we have not seen an avalanche on this layer in a while, keep this problem on your radar.
No new avalanches have been reported since Saturday when small, low elevation wind slabs were triggered by riders.
On Friday, our field team observed natural wind slab avalanches up to size 2 and loose snow sluffing from steep alpine terrain around the White Pass.
Outflow winds from the north have done a real number on the surface snow scouring exposed terrain, creating waves of sastrugi in more sheltered terrain, and forming wind slabs on southerly aspects. Very sheltered terrain in side valleys to the east and west of White Pass still harbour softer snow for riding.
The middle of the snowpack is very firm and settled. There is a surface hoar layer buried 60 cm (Powder Valley, Tuthsi, Paddy Peak) to 120 cm (White Pass) deep in sheltered, mostly north facing terrain features that produced some large, human-triggered avalanches in January and February.
At the base of the snowpack large sugary crystals persist.
Tuesday night
Clear. Moderate northerly outflow wind. Low temperature -22 ˚C, with windchill -35 ˚C.
Wednesday
Sunny. Moderate northeasterly outflow wind. Alpine high -20 ˚C.
Thursday
Increasing cloud with flurries bringing a few cm of snow. Winds easing to light variable. Alpine inversion with a high of -10 ˚C at 1800 m.
Friday
Up to 5 cm overnight then light flurries with sunny periods. Moderate northerly wind. Alpine high -16 ˚C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
