Lingering wind slabs may remain reactive to human triggers on lee features in the alpine.
Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
Recent moderate southerly winds have formed wind slabs that may remain reactive to human triggers on lee features on the alpine.
Use ridges or ribs to avoid areas of wind loaded snow.
Cornices may be weak and reactive to human triggers. They create a significant falling hazard, and may produce large slab avalanches as they fall onto the slope below.
Cornice failures are more likely during hot and sunny weather.
Small wet loose avalanches should be expected on steep, solar aspects when the sun comes out.
Avoid big, steep, alpine slopes that are getting cooked by the sun.
Thursday night: Mostly cloudy / Light southwest wind / Low of -5 / Freezing level 1000 m.
Friday: Mix of sun and cloud / Light west wind / High of 3 / Freezing level 1800 m.
Saturday: Mostly sunny / Light southwest wind / High of 5 / Freezing level 2000 m.
Sunday: Mix of sun and cloud / Moderate south wind / High of 5 / Freezing level 2100 m.
No new avalanches were reported on Wednesday.
A small (size 1) wind slab avalanche that was remotely triggered by skiers below a ridgetop was reported on Tuesday. See MIN.
We currently have very limited avalanche observation data from this region.
Please consider posting your observations to the Mountain Information Network (MIN). Photos of current conditions and avalanches are the most helpful.
5-20 cm of recent snow and moderate southwest winds have formed wind slabs that may remain reactive to human triggers below alpine ridgetops.
The recent snow is sitting on a variety of hard snow surfaces, including crusts and wind scoured snow.
Below this, there are several crusts in the upper snowpack that may have the potential to produce large avalanches during the next significant warming event.
