Fresh wind slabs will build throughout the day. Be mindful of the potential for a step-down avalanche with the persistent slab problem, creating larger-than-expected avalanches.
New snow and wind will create fresh wind slabs. Slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day as new snow accumulates.
A weak layer from early March is now 120 to 175 cm deep with January and February layers buried 150 to 250 cm. There's still uncertainty about avalanches stepping down to these layers, potentially triggering very large avalanches.
Numerous natural wind slabs (size 1.5) were reported from north alpine lee and cross-loaded features. Skier's traffic produced wind slab avalanches (size 1.5), with good propagation along ridge crests at treeline.
On Monday, fast-running sluffs were easily triggered by riders on steep northerly slopes, producing small loose dry avalanches throughout the region.
Thanks for sharing your observations via the MIN if you are going out into the backcountry.
10 to 20 cm of recent snow exists, with deeper deposits of wind-transported snow in lee terrain. Southerly slopes have been sun-affected and the surface snow is moist and/or heavy snow. This sits over 120 to 175 cm of settling storm snow from the past week.
Under it, a weak layer formed in early March that consists of a crust on all aspects except high north-facing slopes and facets or surface hoar in some areas. Weak layers formed in mid-February and late January are now buried 150 to 250 cm deep.
Below this, the snowpack is well-settled and strong.
Tuesday Night
Cloudy with isolated flurries. 30 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
Wednesday
Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of new snow. 40 to 50 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Thursday
Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of new snow. 30 to 50 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Friday
Cloudy with 10 to 15 cm of new snow. 30 to 40 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
