Increased southerly winds may create new wind slabs at higher elevations.
Assess conditions as you move through the terrain.
Southerly winds will pick up Tuesday evening and begin to redistribute the 5 to 10 cm of snow that is forecasted for our region. Wind slabs could form in upper elevations of the treeline.
No new avalanches reported since Sunday. Avalanches that occurred this past weekend included wind slabs and storm slabs that reached up to size 2.5. They ranged from natural to skier accidental. They mostly occurred on north and northwest-facing slopes in the alpine and at treeline. The most notable of these was a skier accidental that happened at 1350 m on a 38 degree slope. The skier triggered the avalanche, 30 cm deep, by skiing over a rocky area where the snowpack was thin. There was a full burial but they were extricated with no injuries.
Increased winds have started to transport the new snow that has fallen since Sunday (around 20 cm in most places and up to 40 cm near Stewart). Wednesday will see an additional 10 cm fall by the end of the day.
Before Sunday a melt-freeze crust formed in most areas except on shady slopes above 1500 m where the snow has remained dry.
The lower snowpack is generally strong and well-bonded. In outlying northern reaches of the region, basal facets may exist which are currently considered dormant. This layer may become active with abrupt changes to the snowpack, such as rapid loading (heavy snowfall or rain) or prolonged warming.
Tuesday Night
Increasing cloud, trace accumulation, winds southerly 20 to 30 km/h gusting to 60, treeline temperatures cooling to -5 °C.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy, 5 to 10 cm of accumulation, winds southerly 35 km/h gusting to 60, treeline temperatures around -5 °C.
Thursday
Cloudy, 15 to 20 cm accumulation starting Wednesday evening and continuing throughout the day, winds southerly 55 km/h, treeline temperatures reaching 0 °C.
Friday
Cloudy, up to 10 cm accumulation falling mostly Thursday night, winds southwest 30 to 40 km/h, treeline temperatures -2 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
