Hazard remains low, but visibility is decreasing. Cloud cover may make spotting wind slabs difficult.
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy today with isolated flurries and trace amounts of accumulation. Freezing levels are expected to rise to 1600m, with an alpine temperature of -3. Moderate westerly winds with strong gusts. Cloud cover and very light precipitation will remain through the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
~5cm of snow covers the previous surface of crust, facets, surface hoar and pockets of thin soft slab. Variable winds have created pockets of soft slab in the immediate lees of ridges on all aspects. Overall the snowpack is now well settled and strong.
Avalanche Summary
Several reports from outside the park boundary of small skier controlled avalanches failing on wind slabs. In Glacier Park, small pockets of wind slab have been reactive to skiers at ridge top and the loose surface snow sluffs on steep slopes. No new natural avalanches have been observed recently.
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.