New snow and wind will form fresh slabs through the day Saturday.
The best and safest riding can be found in the trees. Get it while you can this weekend before things warm up.
New snow and wind are forming fresh and reactive slabs. Wind-loaded deposits may be deeper than expected due to availability of pre-existing snow for redistribution by wind.
During the storm earlier this week, a widespread storm slab avalanche cycle was reported to size 3. Natural activity has tapered dramatically since the end of the storm on Wednesday.
A new storm arrives with heavy snowfall and strong wind. It falls over a hefty dose of storm snow from earlier this week.
In some areas, the recent snow may have buried a layer of small surface hoar crystals over 1 m deep in sheltered terrain. A well-bonded crust may be found in the mid snowpack below 1400 m.
In general, this season's upper elevation snowpack is shaping up as the ideal coastal snowpack; deep, strong and uncomplicated. Snowpack depths in excess of 300 cm can be found at treeline elevations.
Friday night
Increasing cloud. 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -10 °C.
Saturday
Cloudy. 20 cm of snow. 80 to 100 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy. 15 cm of snow. 80 to 100 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level rising to 1000 m.
Monday
Cloudy. 40 mm of mixed precipitation. 100 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +1 °C. Freezing level 1800 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
