Lingering wind slabs are the primary concern, but also give a wide berth to large and looming cornices.
Wind slabs are likely bonding but some could linger. The most likely areas to trigger a wind slab would be in steep terrain features adjacent to ridges.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with light snowfall then clearing, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, 10 km/h west wind, alpine temperature -8 C.
MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, 10 km/h west wind, alpine temperature -8 C, freezing level 800 m.
TUESDAY: Mostly clear skies, 20 to 30 km/h west wind, alpine temperature -8 C.
WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, 30 km/h northwest wind, alpine temperature -6 C.
A few small (size 1) wind slabs were triggered by riders on Saturday near ridges and in steep terrain at treeline and alpine elevations. Otherwise, no new avalanches were observed.
Alpine terrain is heavily wind affected, with windward slopes being scoured and leeward slopes holding wind slabs. Treeline elevations may have around 20 cm of settled snow and perhaps a melt-freeze crust on southerly aspects. Below treeline, the snow surface is likely a melt-freeze crust.
Around 60 to 90 cm of snow sits on a variety of old snow interfaces consisting of hard wind-affected snow in exposed terrain and weak faceted snow or possibly feathery surface hoar crystals in sheltered terrain. There has not been avalanche activity on these layers observed in the past week.
Faceted snow at the base of the snowpack exists in much of the region.
