Regions
Northwest Coastal.
Finally some new snow! But use caution during your travels, as it may not bond well to the underlying wind-affected snow. It will fall with strong northwest wind, so use particular caution in lee terrain features.
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 5 cm, strong west wind, alpine temperature -6 C.TUESDAY: Cloudy with snowfall, accumulation 10 to 15 cm, moderate to strong northwest wind, alpine temperature -5 C.WEDNESDAY: Early-morning snowfall and afternoon clearing, accumulation trace to 5 cm, light northeast wind, alpine temperature -7 C.THURSDAY: Increasing clouds over the day, light northwest wind, alpine temperature -7 C.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed on Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
New snow on Tuesday will fall onto a heavily wind-affected snow surface. The new snow may form touchy wind slabs quickly, as the storm will have associated strong northwest wind. Beneath the new snow lies a variety of hard slabs, wind-pressed snow, sastrugi, and melt-freeze crust. In sheltered areas at and below treeline, the new snow will fall onto pockets of feathery surface hoar crystals and soft faceted snow. In the south of the region, the remainder of the snowpack is well-settled.Around Bear Pass and in the north of the region, you may find two or three weak layers of surface hoar buried between 50 and 100 cm. The base of the snowpack may also be composed of weak and sugary faceted snow.
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.