Assess conditions as you travel - snow may hide reactive pockets or, more likely, early-season hazards.
Winds, initially southwesterly then northerly, have polished open terrain and left stubborn wind slabs. Fresh slabs may form through Tuesday as wind increases ahead of the next weather system.
On Sunday, explosives triggered size 1-2 storm slabs and a natural storm slab avalanche cycle to size 1.5 was reported around the Spearhead backcountry.
Strong southwest winds quickly impacted 15-40 cm weekend snowfall which mostly covered a crust (or bare rock) at upper elevations and moist snow and dirt at treeline and below.
Below the crust is 40-80 cm of early November snow which began covering surface roughness at upper elevations. The strength of this basal interface will become more evident with more field observations. Terrain features poke through a building snowpack that grows from 50-70 cm at treeline to 150 cm in the alpine. Below treeline is below the threshold for avalanches.
Monday night
Clear and cold with increasing clouds. Light northeast wind, treeline low temperatures -20 C.
Tuesday
Cold. Flurries start in the afternoon, with substantial accumulations beginning overnight. Increasing southwest wind, treeline high temperature -12 C.
WednesdayWinter storm beginning late Tuesday with precipitation likely falling as snow at most elevations. 15-30 mm by morning and another 15 mm through the day, South wind gusting above 70 k/h. Treeline high -8 C, freezing level staying below 500 m.
ThursdayCold and clearing. Light northeast wind, treeling high temperature -12 C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
