***Updated 6:45***!
Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow and wind.
Significant amount of new snow will create fresh and reactive slabs, especially on lee terrain features. Slab size and sensitivity to triggering will increase as new snow accumulates.
On Monday, a large slab avalanche (size 2.5)was triggered by a giant cornice fall on a north alpine slope on Mount Cain. It was triggered by a person stepping very close to the cornice.
Avalanche activity will increase during this stormy period and a natural cycle is expected.
Thanks for sharing your observations via the MIN if you are going out into the backcountry.
40 to 60 cm of new snow is expected by Thursday afternoon, forming touchy storm slabs. This overlies firm wind-transported snow in lee terrain at upper elevations and moist, heavy snow or a melt-freeze crust on southerly slopes, especially at lower elevations.
A robust crust, formed in early March, can be found down 90 to 130 cm. The snow above is well bonded to this crust.
Below this, the snowpack is well consolidated and strong.
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of new snow. 60 to 80 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
Thursday
Cloudy with 5 to 10 cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Friday
Cloudy with 30 to 45 cm of new snow. 40 to 60 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Saturday
Partly cloudy with isolated flurries. 20 to 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
