Touchy storm slabs are developing over a widespread layer of surface hoar at all elevations. Expect these slabs to be most reactive on wind affected slopes.
10-25 cm of recent snow is sitting on top of a widespread layer of surface hoar at all elevations. On solar aspects the surface hoar is sitting on a crust, a particularly nasty combination.
Weak snow at the bottom of the snowpack continues to pose a deep persistent slab avalanche problem. The most recent activity has been focused around the Golden area, but steep, rocky, shallow terrain throughout the region should be treated with caution. Avoid big alpine slopes that are threatened by cornices overhead.
10-25 cm of recent snow has buried a widespread layer of surface hoar (size 5-15 mm.). This layer exists at all elevations. This same layer of surface hoar may be sitting on a thin sun crust on solar aspects which is a particularly nasty combination. The new snow will likely become increasingly reactive to human triggers as it stacks up and settles into a cohesive slab. The middle of the snowpack is strong, but the base of the snowpack contains basal facets that have resulted in sporadic, large deep persistent slab avalanches, especially in shallow rocky start zones.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with flurries; 3-5 cm, light to moderate west wind, alpine temperature -9 C, freezing level below valley bottom.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy with possible flurries; 0-3 cm, light west wind, alpine temperature -5 C, freezing level 1000 m
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy, light to moderate northwest wind, alpine temperature -5 C, freezing level 900 m.
WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light to moderate northwest wind, alpine temperature -3 C, freezing level rising to 1300 m.
On Saturday the new snow was reported as being reactive to skier traffic as a very thin soft slab in wind affected terrain. These slabs will become increasingly touchy as the new snow stacks up and settles into a cohesive slab. There have been a few sporadic large avalanches over the past 10 days. Most recently, a large (size 3) deep persistent slab avalanche was remotely triggered last Sunday just outside the forecast region near Mt. Seven. Photos in the Mountain Information Network report show this avalanche was initiated by a skier causing a whumpf on a ridge that released a small wind slab on an east-facing alpine slope which then stepped down to the facets at the bottom of the snowpack.
