Keep an eye out for wind slabs and cornices as you travel.
Route selection should take both of these hazards into consideration.
Recent snow that was accompanied by strong southerly wind has formed wind slabs in exposed terrain. These slabs may remain reactive due to the underlying crust.
Dry loose avalanches are possible where new snow hasn’t formed a slab.
Cornices are large and overhanging, give these hazards a wide berth and reduce your time travelling under them.
Sluffing in steep terrain has been reported over the past couple days, recent storm snow is likely not bonding well to the underlying crust. No slab avalanches have been reported in the region since the atmospheric river event.
If you are heading into the backcountry, please share your observations by posting a MIN.
20 to 40 cm of recent storm snow has been redistributed by south and west wind, forming deeper deposits on leeward features. A sun crust exists just below this storm snow.
The crust formed during the atmospheric river event is down 40 to 70 cm and exists up to at least 2100 m. This crust is 10 to 20 cm thick with moist snow below it.
Weak layers from February can be found down 150 cm and deeper. These layers are not currently a concern.
Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C.
Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
Friday
Mix of sun and clouds. 2 to 3 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 3 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
