Wind slabs have been reactive and may remain triggerable on steep, lee features.
Check for potential slabs before entering committing terrain.
Wind slabs have been very reactive in the region, but should be slowly gaining strength. They may remain triggerable on steep wind-loaded alpine slopes, including the lee sides of ridges and cross-loaded features.
Sunny, warmer periods can make wet loose avalanches more likely on steep slopes. Use appropriate sluff management techniques and avoid being under cornices or steep sunny features during the warmest parts of the day.
An avalanche accident off the Duffey on Thursday resulted in assistance needed from search and rescue. See photo. Several other size 1 to 2 skier-triggered avalanches also occurred.
Numerous skier-triggered and natural storm slabs sized 1 to 2.5 were reported across the region on Wednesday. They generally failed on northerly alpine slopes.
Looking ahead, wind slabs will continue to be most concerning on lee north and east-facing features.
15 to 30 cm of storm snow from earlier this week is slowly bonding to an underlying crust. Reactive wind slabs may still exist at upper elevations on shady northerly through easterly slopes.
Sun-affected slopes likely have a thin new sun crust, which may melt and soften with daytime warming.
The remaining snowpack has no current layers of concern, having undergone multiple melt-freeze cycles, forming a mix of crusts and dense, rounded snow. Lower elevations may have wet or isothermal snow to ground.
Thursday Night
Mostly clear skies. 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 1500 m dropping to 1000 m.
Friday
Mix of sun and clouds. 10 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level rising to 1700 m.
Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level rising to 2100 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 4 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 5 °C. Freezing level rising to 2600 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
