Although cooling temperatures should have a stabilizing effect on the snowpack, uncertainty around buried weak layers is best managed through conservative terrain choices.
Wind slabs may remain sensitive to rider triggers in lee terrain features, especially at higher elevations. Small wind slab releases may step down to weak layers in the upper snowpack to produce larger, more destructive avalanches.
Large avalanches were observed on a buried weak layes during the storm last weekend. This layer continues to give easy results in snowpack tests and may remain triggerable by riders.
Recent avalanche activity has been mostly loose wet out of steep solar aspects, size 1-2. On Friday, several wind slab avalanches to size 1.5 were observed, at least one was triggered by a cornice failure.
Evidence of natural avalanches from the past weekend's storm may still be visible. Numerous very large (size 3.5 to 4) persistent slabs with impressive crowns (100 to 200 cm) have been observed in the Manning region.
A widespread surface crust exists on most, if not all aspects and elevations. Below 1300 m, the snowpack is isothermal and disappearing quickly.
A weak layer of facets and/or surface hoar is buried 50 to 120 cm deep. Large avalanches ran on this layer last weekend and it continued to give easy results in snowpack tests during the week.
A crust from December, buried 1 to 2 m deep, has been observed to be breaking down.
Saturday night
Increasing cloud. 10 to 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature +3°C. Freezing level dropping to 2000 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a trace of snow. 10 to 20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Monday
Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Tuesday
A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
