Regions
Northwest Inland.
The drought continues. Not much change is expected until we see a significant weather pattern change.
Confidence
Moderate - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
Outlook for Saturday to Monday: We should see valley cloud with sunny breaks and scattered clouds above. The freezing level remains at the surface with temperatures at 1500 m rising to between -6 and -2 during the day. Winds should be generally light and variable. The next weather system could arrive late Monday but I wouldn't count on this.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity has been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Wind slabs are likely at higher elevations, although due to limited observations not much is known about their reactivity. I'd remain cautious on steep, unsupported slopes in the immediate lee of ridge crests. A melt-freeze crust may be found at or near the surface on steep, sun-exposed slopes at higher elevations. Much of the Northwest Inland region is dealing with a thin, early-season snowpack. Some weather stations are showing historical minimum snow depths for this time of year. Between 80 and 100 cm of snow can be found at tree-line in the south and west of the region, with closer to 60 cm in the east. A weak basal layer probably exists in most areas, and cold temperatures have continued to promote faceting in the snowpack, especially in shallow, rocky areas.
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.