Incremental snow and wind have created heightened avalanche conditions at higher elevations.
Light accumulations of snow and recent strong southwest wind have potentially formed wind slabs in steep alpine terrain. There is uncertainty about how well these slabs will bond to underlying interfaces.
Thursday night: Cloudy, 5-10 cm of snow, light to moderate southwest wind, freezing level dropping to 900 m, alpine temperatures reach -5 C.
Friday: Cloudy, up to 5 cm of new snow, light southwest wind, freezing level climbing to 1300 m in the afternoon, alpine temperatures reach -4 C.
Saturday: 20-30 cm of new snow, moderate southwest wind with strong gusts at ridge-tops, freezing level climbing to 1400 m in the afternoon, alpine temperatures reach -2 C.
Sunday: 15-25 cm of new snow, moderate southwest wind with strong gusts at ridge-tops in the late afternoon, freezing level climbing to 1400 m in the afternoon, alpine temperatures reach -2 C.
A few small dry loose avalanches were reported on Monday, however mountain travel and field observations have been very limited over the past few days. Last week there were many wet loose avalanches, but cooler weather and a dusting of new snow has probably made isolated wind slabs the main concern this week.
Incremental snowfall that has accumulated throughout the week and that is forecast to continue through the day on Friday covers a variety of previous snow surfaces including crusts, warm snow, and wind-affected snow. There is some uncertainty about how well the new snow will bond to these interfaces. The snowpack is generally strong and settled, with the exception of some areas in the eastern and northern parts of the region that have weak faceted snow near the base of the snowpack. However, this layer is considered dormant and has not produced an avalanche since February 20.
