Light flurries the next few days. Remember to use good travel habits and watch for isolated areas with unstable snow.
Weather Forecast
SUNDAY: Flurries with 4-8 cm of new snow, light south winds, alpine temperatures around -12 C.MONDAY: Continued light flurries with another 4-8 cm of new snow, light southwest winds, alpine temperatures around -15 C.TUESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light west winds with moderate gusts, alpine temperatures around -15 C.
Avalanche Summary
Lots of people in the mountains the past few days have reported very little in terms of significant avalanche observations. Isolated size 1 wind slabs have been reported in alpine terrain and widespread sluffing has been reported in steep terrain. A few natural cornice falls in the size 2 range have been reported in the Selkirks. Small avalanches in the new snow remain the primary concern over the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
Light flurries over the past few days have delivered 20-40 cm of low density snow. Expect to find isolated pockets with thicker wind deposits at higher elevations as well as sun crusts forming on steep south-facing slopes. The the mid-February interface is now buried 30-50 cm deep, and is composed of a thick rain crust up to about 1800 m, sun crusts on steep solar aspects, and spotty surface hoar on shaded aspects. Recent reports suggest the snow is bonding to this interface, although it has produced some sudden snowpack test results and reactive ski cuts. The mid and lower snowpack are generally well settled and stable in deeper snowpack areas, but may be weak and faceted in shallow start zones.
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.