The snowpack is generally thin and sugary. Exercise extra caution in wind-exposed terrain where pockets of cohesive, wind slabs may be lurking.
Plenty of early season hazards exists with a thin, unsupportive snowpack, like rocks and tree stumps.
Cohesive slabs (wind slabs) may have formed in the upper snowpack. If triggered these avalanches will likely scrub down into the sugary, facetted lower snowpack.
A couple of wind slab failures were reported on Wednesday. Size 1 to 2 and scrubbing down to the sugary, lower snowpack.
With the cold temperatures going forward the wind slabs should facet and dry out, making them less reactive.
There is potential for cohesive, wind slabs to be found in wind-exposed areas. Otherwise, the snowpack lacks much cohesion (slab properties) at the moment. 20-30cm of low-density snow has fallen over the previous week. The new snow overlays a generally facetted, sugary, and weak snowpack.
The overall height of snow is highly variable throughout the region. 50-150 cm in the alpine.
Thursday night
Mostly clear with no precipitation. In the alpine, light winds and temperatures in -15 to -20 C range.
Friday
A mix of sun and cloud, with no precipitation. Light winds, gusting to moderate from the NW in the alpine. Alpine temperatures remain steady in the -15 to -20 C range.
SaturdayA mix of sun and cloud. Light west winds and cold temperatures persist, -15 to -20 C in the alpine.
SundayA mix of sun and cloud. Light west winds in the alpine. While alpine temperatures begin to warm slightly, -10 to -15 C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
