Avalanche hazard will increase with new snow, winds and warmer temperatures . Choose conservative objectives during this time of change.
Weather Forecast
A pacific low will be moving inland today bringing light precipitation to the Rogers Pass area. Accumulation of 8cm of snow for higher elevations and rain below 1900m. Moderate SW winds with gusts to 50km/hr will help redistribute new snow in lee areas. Freezing levels remain at 1800m tonight as light precipitation continues into Saturday.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 15cm of new snow has buried, and concealed a variety of surfaces from sun crusts to reactive windslabs. The upper snowpack is a complex mix of crusts, weak facetted snow and surface hoar. Below 1900m the snowpack is spring-like with a weak melt-freeze crust forming overnight. Rain at lower elevations will destabilize the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
Several avalanches were reported in the Connaught Creek drainage from the north side of Mt Cheops, running half fan. A small natural cycle was observed in the highway corridor with 3 slab avalanches size 2- 2.5, beginning in high aline start zones and terminating mid-fan with moist deposits.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.
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.