Dangerous slabs may persist after recent storms. Choose conservative routes and collect observations as you travel.
Recent snow accompanied by strong west winds may be forming reactive new slabs at all elevations, but will be particularly be prone to triggering on wind-loaded slopes near ridgetops.
Clear skies on Tuesday showed evidence of Monday's avalanche cycle up to (size 3). A fatal, human-triggered (size 3.5) occurred near the Anniversary Glacier on a wind-loaded, northeast slope in the alpine. Several smaller human-triggered (up to size 1.5) events also occurred at alpine and treeline elevations.
Strong wind has redistributed the 40 cm of snow that fell earlier this week. The recent snow sits over a variety of old snow surfaces, including surface hoar, crusts, and facets. Expect the potential for a poor bond at the storm snow interface.
Up to 100 cm is sitting over the early February crust. That crust is thin and breakable on northerly aspects to 2300 m, but thick on southerly aspects.
A widespread crust and facet layer from late January is buried around 100+ cm deep.
Thursday Night
Cloudy. 3 to 15 cm of snow. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Friday
Cloudy. 1 to 4 cm of snow. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Saturday
Mostly sunny. 1 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.
Sunday
Sunny. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
