North Rockies

Wind slabs may remain triggerable by riders on leeward terrain features at upper elevations.

Moderate

• We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.

On Thursday and Friday, observers reported evidence of wind slab activity, suspected to have run mid-week, size 1-2 on north through east-facing aspects.

If you are heading into the backcountry, please share any observations with the Mountain Information Network.

Recent snow and strong winds have buried a crust formed in mid-February up to 1 m deep. This crust is expected to be most widespread and thickest at treeline and below, becoming thinner or absent at higher elevations. Weak, faceted snow may exist above the crust, or in place of the crust at higher elevations.

The remainder of the snowpack is generally well consolidated, with no widespread layers of concern. The main exception is shallow, rocky terrain, where the snowpack is inherently weaker and early-season basal weak layers may still persist.

Check out these recent MIN posts from our field team on Thursday and a local pro on Friday.

Sunday Night
Partly cloudy. 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Monday
Mix of sun and clouds. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C.

Tuesday
Mostly sunny. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.

Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 2 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Be careful as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
• Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
• Avoid steep terrain, including convex rolls, or areas with a thin, rocky, or variable snowpack.