Regions
Northwest Inland.
Avalanche danger will start to rise as new snow accumulates. How quickly this happens depends on how much snow and wind we see.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Monday: Increasing cloud with light snow in the afternoon. The freezing level is at the surface. Ridge winds are moderate to strong from the S-SW. Tuesday: Periods of snow 5-15 cm from Monday evening through Tuesday. The freezing level is at the surface. Ridge winds are moderate to strong from the S-SW. Wednesday: Cloudy with light snow. The freezing level at the surface and winds are moderate from the W-SW.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported for several days; however, observations are very limited.
Snowpack Summary
A dusting of new snow now covers another fairly widespread surface hoar layer. Below this 5-15 cm of dry faceted snow sits on a variety of old surfaces including a melt-freeze crust on solar aspects in the alpine, wind affected snow in exposed terrain, and surface hoar in sheltered areas at treeline and lower elevations. Variable winds have created wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded terrain in alpine areas and scoured windward slopes. Overall, the snowpack is quite shallow and weak throughout the region.
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.