Assess your line for wind slab hazard before committing to consequential terrain.
Recent winds have loaded soft slabs into isolated terrain features in the alpine. Windslabs are most reactive when they are fresh, so use extra caution if you can see blowing snow.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy. A trace of new snow. Light to moderate southeast wind. Alpine low around -14 °C.
Sunday: Increasing cloud. Possible trace of new snow. Light to moderate southeast wind. Alpine high around -5 °C.
Monday: Snowfall starting 3-10 cm. Light southeast wind building to strong south in the afternoon. Alpine high around -2 °C.
Tuesday: Snowfall 10-20 cm. Moderate to strong southeast wind. Alpine high around -4 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
No reports of avalanche activity since Thursday when natural storm slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported north of White Pass on north through east aspects in the alpine. It's estimated that they occurred sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday.
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30-40 cm of recent snow sits over a wind pressed snowpack, or a crust on steep, south facing slopes. Recent winds have varied from southeast to southwest, creating deeper deposits of soft wind slab on north and east facing aspects. Periods of sun on Thursday created a thin surface crust on solar aspects.
The new snow seems to be bonding well to old surfaces. At lower elevations, where the wind has been calmer, expect the surface snow to be unconsolidated.
The lower snowpack is thought to be well protected by the dense layers above, and it is unlikely that avalanches will be triggered on weak, sugary crystals near the ground at this time.
