Regions
Northwest Inland.
Confidence
Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions
Weather Forecast
Monday: a mix of sun and cloud - light southerly winds - freezing level at 1100m Tuesday: trace amounts of snowfall - light southeast winds - freezing level at 1100m Wednesday: light snowfall - light southeast winds - freezing level at 1100m
Avalanche Summary
A few radiation induced moist sluffs were observed on steep, rocky terrain. No other avalanches were reported from the region.
Snowpack Summary
Moderate southerly winds have shifted recent storm snow into wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded terrain; however, reports indicate that the slab is settling well in some areas with no significant shears. Sun exposed slopes are now into a melt freeze cycle with southerly slopes becoming moist under sunny skies. The mid February persistent weak layer, comprised of spotty surface hoar, facets and crusts, is buried 80-120 cm below the surface. No recent activity has been reported on this interface, although I feel that triggering may be possible in steep, isolated terrain in some parts of the region. Below this the snowpack is well settled and strong. Cornices in the area are reported to be very large and primed for natural collapse or triggering by a person.
Problems
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.