Northwest Inland

Recent snow and wind has promoted wind slab development at upper elevations.

Sunday Night: Cloudy with clear periods. Alpine temperature -9 C. Moderate southwest wind.

Monday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 5 cm. Alpine temperature -6 C. Moderate southwest wind.

Tuesday: Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 5 cm. Alpine temperature -7 C. Moderate southwest wind with strong gusts.

Wednesday: Mainly cloudy. Alpine temperatures -7 C. Moderate south wind with strong gusts.

There have been no recent reports of avalanche activity.

15-30 cm of snow fell in the region early last week. Moderate south-southwesterly winds have since developed wind slabs, especially around ridge features and into the alpine.

Reports suggest there are 2 buried layers of surface hoar in the upper snowpack - one down 15-25 cm below the new snow, and another down 25-40. Where wind has scoured the snowpack, a crust from November is at or near the surface. In leeward terrain, a this crust is 40-60 cm deep, and may include surface hoar in sheltered openings up to treeline.

Older crusts can be found deeper in the snowpack and are generally breaking down. In areas with a relatively thin snowpack, the base of the snowpack likely consists of weak faceted grains.

• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Carefully assess open slopes and convex rolls where buried surface hoar may be preserved.
• Make observations and assess conditions continually as you travel.