Natural avalanche activity may taper off, but the snowpack remains primed for human triggering.
Start with a very conservative trip plan and back off if you encounter signs of instability.
Storm slabs sit on a weak interface and are reactive with new snow, strong southerly wind. Deeper deposits of wind transported snow may exist in leeward and cross-loaded terrain, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
A weak layer buried 100 to 300 cm remains a concern. Avoid shallow rocky areas where the snow transitions from thick to thin and triggering this layer is more likely.
If triggered the resulting avalanche would be very large and destructive.
The stormy conditions have proved a widespread natural avalanche cycle up to size 3. Many of these avalanches have been reported as wind, storm and persistent slabs at upper elevations and wet loose at lower elevations. Several human remote triggered (from 30 m afar) avalanches up to size 2 were reported.
Natural avalanche activity may taper, but conditions could remain primed for human triggering.
Over the past few days strong southerly winds and up to 60 cm of new snow hit the region. Wind-transported snow has likely built deeper slabs on northerly aspects at upper elevations. Lower elevation snow may be crusty as freezing levels fall.
The upper metre of the snowpack is complicated. This snow sits above several significant weak layers that formed during the January and February dry spells. These include facets, surface hoar (in sheltered terrain), and crust on solar aspects. These layers are currently reactive.
Deeper in the snowpack, a weak layer of facets and a crust from early December varies in depth from 100 to 300 cm. This layer also remains a concern in this region.
Friday Night
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of snow. 20 to 45 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1100 m.
Saturday
Cloudy with isolated flurries. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Sunday
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures -1. Freezing level 1100 m.
Monday
Mix of sun and cloud. 10 to 20 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures -5. Freezing level 700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
