Regions
Northwest Coastal.
New snowfall amounts are uncertain for Thursday night. Pay close attention to how much snow falls in your riding area, and be prepared to back off to conservative terrain.
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Friday
Weather Forecast
Weather models are calling for 10-20cm of new snow on Thursday night and another 10cm on Friday evening. Generally light flurries are forecast for Saturday while a mix of sun and cloud is expected on Sunday. Ridgetop winds on Friday will be moderate from the south, becoming light on Saturday and Sunday. Freezing levels will hover around 1000m on Friday and then rise to about 1400m for the weekend.
Avalanche Summary
In recent days only small new wind slab avalanches were reported. Most of these avalanches were soft slabs and were confined to the immediate lee of ridgecrests. Continued wind slab activity is expected in response to new snow and wind on Thursday night and Friday.
Snowpack Summary
Strong to extreme southwest winds have redistributed light amounts of new snow into new wind slabs at treeline and in the alpine. In some areas, recent accumulations have been slow to bond to a crust which lies just below the surface.An older crust buried in early February can now be found around 50-100cm below the surface. This crust, which may coexist with small facets or decomposing surface hoar, is still producing sudden planar results in tests. I'd remain suspicious of this layer in steep, unsupported terrain at treeline and in the alpine.The mid pack is generally well settled and strong.
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.