Dangerous avalanche conditions persist as heavy precipitation and rising freezing levels continue.
Choose simple, low-angle, well-supported terrain with no overhead hazard.
By Friday morning 15-30 mm of precipitation has fallen at higher elevations as a mix of rain and snow. Where snow remained dry has formed reactive storm slabs primed for human triggering.
Closely monitor the bonding of the new snow with the underlying surface. Be aware that slab avalanches could step down to a crust layer and produce larger-than-expected avalanches.
As rain thoroughly saturates the snowpack surface at lower elevations snow will lose cohesion resulting in a loose wet avalanche problem on steep slopes. This problem may affect the treeline as the rain intensifies and freezing levels rise towards mountain tops. Watch for unstable snow on specific terrain features, especially when the snow is moist or wet.
No new avalanches have been reported in the region. Backcountry users should expect to see evidence of an avalanche cycle from within the storm at all elevations. Evidence of old loose wet avalanches and glide avalanches from last weekend may still be visible.
Please post your observations and photos to the Mountain Information Network. It helps strengthen our data gathering.
+20 cm storm snow and strong southerly winds are building storm slabs build where snow remains dry. New snow overlies previously wind-affected surfaces on south and east-facing slopes. Between 1000 and 1500 m new snow overlies a melt-freeze crust. The snowpack is saturated by rain at lower elevations.
The mid-snowpack is well-settled. The lower snowpack consists of several crusts with weak faceted crystals above and below that are beginning to heal and bond to each other.
Snowpack depths are roughly 145 to 185 cm at treeline and taper rapidly below 1500 m.
Thursday Night
Stormy, up to 10-20 mm expected. Extreme southerly ridge winds gusting 80-100 km/h. A high of +2C at treeline. Freezing levels rise to 2000-2300 m.
Friday
Stormy, 10-15 mm. Extreme southerly ridge winds gusting 80-100 km/h. A high of 0C at treeline. Freezing levels drop through the day to 1500-1800 m.
By evening the storm subsides easing winds and precip.
Saturday
Mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries, trace accumulation. Moderate southwesterly winds gusting 30-50 km/h. A high of +2C at treeline. freezing levels drop to 1500 m.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud. Light variable winds gusting 20 km/h. A high of 0C at treeline. Freezing levels continue dropping to 1200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
