Regions
Northwest Inland.
Cooling temperatures will eventually help stabilize the snowpack, but I'd give the snow a bit more time to settle before pushing into bigger terrain.
Confidence
Moderate - Freezing levels are uncertain
Weather Forecast
FRIDAY: Cloudy with isolated flurries to the west, light west winds, freezing level dropping to 500 m, alpine temperatures around -10 C.SATURDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light east winds, alpine temperatures around -12 C.SUNDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light southeast winds, alpine temperatures around -12 C.
Avalanche Summary
We've received very little in the way of recent avalanche observations, mostly due to inclement weather. At lower elevations where precipitation fell as rain, loose wet avalanches to size 1.5 have been reported. For Friday, expect newly formed wind slabs to be reactive to human triggering. Also keep in mind that a basal weakness continues to drive a low probability/high consequence deep persistent avalanche problem for the region. Very large avalanches remain possible, especially in shallow snowpack areas and during times of warming.
Snowpack Summary
The region received another 5-10 cm of new snow on Thursday. Strong winds likely shifted these accumulations into deeper deposits at higher elevation lee terrain. Below about 1000 m, rain has saturated and settled the snowpack. About 30-60 cm below the surface, you may find surface hoar which was buried on February 10th. There is a fair bit of uncertainty regarding the reactivity and distribution of this surface hoar layer throughout the region. I'd continue to test for this layer before committing to any steeper terrain. A generally stiff mid pack sits above weak sugary snow near the ground. This basal weakness woke up during the last storm and produced numerous large avalanches which released on the ground. The layer has recently been considered dormant but should be monitored, especially during periods of warmer temperatures. It may also be possible for a smaller avalanche to 'step down' to this layer.
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.