Regions
Northwest Inland.
Very strong winds are expected that will rapidly set up wind slabs in many areas.
Confidence
Fair - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Monday: Around 10 cm new snow expected. Freezing levels around 1500 m. Ridgetop winds gusting to 80 km/h from the southwest. Tuesday and Wednesday: 1-2 cm new snow expected each day. Freezing levels around 1000 m. Winds diminishing in intensity and blowing from the west.
Avalanche Summary
No recent avalanche reports.
Snowpack Summary
Approximately 20 cm of dense storm snow overlies a variety of crusty old surfaces. Weaknesses buried in the upper snowpack may include hard crusts and/or facet crystals, although not much is known about the reactivity or spatial distribution of these layers. At the base of the snowpack, weak facets may be found. Cornices are large and potentially fragile. Unpredictable, full-depth glide avalanches are also a concern on low elevation slopes with smooth ground cover (grassy slopes, rock slabs, etc.) where large cracks have formed from the snowpack slipping on the ground.
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.