Wind slabs may linger up high and it is still possible to trigger large avalanches on buried weak layers.
Wind affected terrain is expected in exposed terrain at alpine and treeline elevations. Recent southwest wind has formed the newest slabs on north to east aspects.
Weak layers of feathery surface hoar and/or sugary faceted grains above a hard melt-freeze crust remain buried in the snowpack around 40 to 90 cm deep. Although these layers are slowly bonding to the snowpack, the possibility remains that a rider could trigger them.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, 30 to 50 km/h west wind, alpine temperature -9 C.
THURSDAY: Partly cloudy, 20 to 30 km/h northwest wind, alpine temperature -8 C.
FRIDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, 20 to 50 km/h southwest wind, alpine temperature -5 C.
SATURDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 10 to 15 cm, 40 km/h southwest wind, alpine temperature -5 C.
No recent avalanches have been reported in the region.
Wind from predominantly the southwest has redistributed last week's snow, resulting in wind slabs in exposed terrain features at and above treeline elevations. Wind-affected snow in exposed terrain and soft snow in sheltered terrain overly a hard melt-freeze crust below 1900 m.
Weak layers of feather surface hoar and/or sugary faceted grains may be found above a hard melt-freeze crust around 40 to 90 cm deep. Avalanches were reported on these layers on December 23 and 25.
The base of the snowpack consists of faceted grains and a hard melt-freeze crust from early-November. The most recent activity on this layer was on December 23.
