Regions
Northwest Inland.
Sustained winds have produced wind slabs in lee features. High freezing levels and sunny skies are warming the snowpack. The best riding will be in areas sheltered from the wind effect and sun, without any overhead exposure.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Partly cloudy, moderate southeasterly winds, alpine temperature 1 C, freezing level 2300 m.WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 2 to 5 cm, light to moderate westerly winds, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 1400 m.THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy, light to moderate northwesterly winds, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1000 m.
Avalanche Summary
Wind slabs were reactive to skier traffic on Sunday, producing small to large (size 1 to 2.5) avalanches in direct lee features at treeline and alpine elevations.
Snowpack Summary
Sustained southerly winds have produced wind slabs in lee features. This overlies a sun crust on solar aspects and a surface hoar and sugary facet layer on sheltered, shady aspects. Expect to find moist snow on solar aspects and on all aspects below around 1000 m.A surface hoar and crust layer from January is buried around 80 to 140 cm. This layer still has the potential to be triggered from a thin snowpack spot, or with a large trigger like a cornice fall.It is unlikely, but may be possible to trigger very large avalanches on facets at the bottom of the snowpack in steep, rocky, and shallow snowpack areas or with large triggers.
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.
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.