By definition the danger is low but there have been isolated skier remote avalanches in steep alpine terrain over the past several days. Conditions are good but its not open season. Also, be watchful for wind-slabs in high elevation lees.
Weather Forecast
It continues. Cool/cold temperatures will persist Thurs/Fri with no precipitation in sight. There is a chance some precip will track through the region on Saturday but amounts are uncertain and will likely vary. Wind will also increase at that time from the south west.
Snowpack Summary
Nil precip in last 24 hours. 5-10 cm of recent snow has been redistributed into thin wind slabs in immediate lee areas at treeline and above. The October 26th crust/facet layer is ~30 cm above ground. Snow depths range from 50-85 cm at 2000 m. In many areas the entire snowpack is faceting and becoming quite weak.
Avalanche Summary
Another skier accidental was reported today on the slopes skiers left of Bow Summit. It was a size 1.5 and likely failed on the Oct 26th crust. Additionally some small thin windslabs were reported in the Observation Peak area.
Confidence
Due to the quality of field observations on Wednesday
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.
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.