Expect avalanche danger to increase through the day as a storm arrives with snow and wind.
Retreat to mellower terrain if you see rapid loading or signs of instability.
Expect fresh, reactive wind slabs to be forming as new snow accumulates with moderate to strong south and southeast winds.
In some areas this wind slab may be sitting on weak surface hoar or facets buried in mid January.
A weak layer buried 100 to 300 cm remains a concern.
Avoid shallow rocky areas where the snow transitions from thick to thin and triggering this layer is more likely.
If triggered the resulting avalanche would be very large and destructive.
No new avalanches have been reported.
Operators in the area are still concerned about a weak layer of facets over a crust from early December that has produced large avalanches.
Looking forward, we expect that the incoming weather will make human triggered avalanches more likely.
Expect to find 10 to 20 cm of new snow in sheltered areas. Moderate to strong southwest winds will likely be forming deeper deposits in leeward terrain. This covers scoured terrain at treeline and above on all aspects. Where snow remained, ongoing cold temperatures have softened the previously wind affected upper snowpack in many areas.
In sheltered terrain, generally faceted snow overlies a crust and layer of surface hoar from late January, now buried 40 to 70 cm.
Another layer of surface hoar was buried near the middle of January and can be found 50 to 100 cm deep.
A weak layer of facets and a crust from early December varies in depth from 100 to 300 cm. This layer remains a concern in this region.
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with light snow. 20 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature - 7 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of snow, much less on the inland side of the forecast area. 35 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature - 5 °C.
Friday
Cloudy with 3 to 10 cm of snow, possibly as much as 20 cm around Stewart. 20 to 40 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature - 5 °C. Freezing level rising to 750 m.
Saturday
Cloudy with 15 to 20 cm in the south half of the forecast area, 5 to 10 in the northern half. 30 to 50 km/h south or southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level rising to 1250 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
