Dangerous avalanche conditions exist.
Avoid wind-loaded slopes, especially where wind slabs overlie facets or in thin, rocky terrain where persistent slabs are easier to trigger.
Wind slabs remain likely at higher elevations, particularly during periods of snow and increased wind transport. Small wind slabs have the potential to step down to deeper weak layers in the upper snowpack.
A buried layer of facets in the snowpack is expected to be more reactive in wind-affected thin rocky terrain features. If triggered this problem is likely to produce widely propagating large avalanches.
Large natural wind slab avalanches up to size 2.5 were observed over the past week, likely triggered during periods of rapid loading from strong winds. Avalanches occurred on a variety of aspects, highlighting variable wind patterns.
Please post any photos or observations to the MIN if you head out.
Recent snow over the last week has been redistributed by primarily southwest winds. Exposed terrain is wind-pressed or scoured down to old crusts formed in late January. While wind slab formation continues to occur in leeward or cross-loaded terrain. Rain and warm temperatures have formed a crust up to at least 1500m.
Two notable layers exist in the snowpack. A layer of facets from early February, up to 40 cm deep. A thick crust from late January, 50 to 100 cm deep. Both of these layers are a concern in wind-affected terrain. Read more about the persistent slab problem here.
The remainder of the snowpack is well settled.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy. 5 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Monday
Mix of sun and clouds. 4 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny. 2 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
