Regions
Northwest Inland.
There is limited information from the region, so this forecast is based primarily on remote telemetry and weather forecasts.
Confidence
Poor - Due to limited field observations
Weather Forecast
Monday: Expect mostly clear skies with alpine temperatures reaching -8 and freezing levels climbing to 1000m. Winds should be light from the east. There is a chance of clouds and convective snowshowers late in the day.Tuesday: Skies should be clear in the morning, with clouds building through the day. Alpine temperatures and freezing levels should reach -6 and 1100m. Light snow may begin late in the day as winds turn southerly.Wednesday: Expect mostly cloudy skies, with intermittent light snowfall. Temperatures should be around -6 with light to moderate southwest winds.
Avalanche Summary
Isolated reports of natural and rider triggered avalanches to size 1.5; slabs on east aspects and loose sluffs on south aspects.
Snowpack Summary
15-35cm of recent snow is generally bonding well to the previous snow surface, which includes crusts, facets and/or surface hoar (very isolated locations). Warm afternoon temperatures have moistened the surface snow on all but the highest and most sheltered slopes. Previous strong westerly winds created widespread hard and soft wind slabs in exposed areas and these slabs are now lightly buried. They have become stubborn to react to human triggers but may still be triggered by large loads such as a cornice fall. Below treeline, the surface snow is undergoing daily melt-freeze cycles with the upper meter of snow becoming wet and losing cohesion by mid-afternoon. Concerns remain for a patchy persistent weakness buried a month ago, and deeper in the snowpack, basal facets may become a concern with continued mild temperatures. Cornices are well-developed and have grown with the recent isolated storms.
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.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.