West Slopes Central

Challenging travel conditions are the largest backcountry concern at the moment. Pay attention to your surroundings and stay alert for avalanche or other hazards, despite a low avalanche danger on Friday.

Firm, variable snow surfaces are present at the moment. If you plan on traveling in steep terrain, slip and fall hazards exist. Consider taking crampons and an ice axe with you. South-facing slopes soften midday for a few hours, making travel more enjoyable depending on your mode of transport. 

Several days have passed since any large avalanches occurred. There is a low likelihood, but continue to watch out for avalanche concerns in areas with gaping glide cracks on steep slopes or overhead cornices which could break and come crashing down.  Long periods of high pressure usually means better snow stability, but they also may aid in forming weak snow surfaces, a potential problem when more snow is loaded on top. A small storm arrives Saturday night, a welcome reprieve from our current doldrums. Before it arrives, search for weak snow. Look for surface hoar on the surface, or small, sugary recrystallized grains in low-density snow near the surface. Both of these would probably be found on upper elevation northerly aspects, if at all. 

Forecaster Lee Lazarra searched for weak snow crystals in the neighboring West North zone on Thursday. The conditions he encountered are probably similar to what we would find in the West Central zone. He did not find any weak layers at the surface that were well developed. Instead, he found faceted (weak, sugary) snow forming between two crusts near the surface on some northerly aspects. This may not be as obvious a weak layer, but it’s something we’ll continue to watch as more weight is added to the snowpack. Let us know what you find if you’re out in the next few days. You can submit your observation HERE.