Northwest Inland

Wind slabs may remain a risk at higher elevations following recent snowfall and strong winds.

A size 1 wind slab avalanche was remotely triggered by a skier on Tuesday in the Seaton area. The skier was skiing a low-angle slope, while an adjacent wind-loaded, steep roll released. This occurred in north-facing, alpine terrain.

Approximately 10 to 15 cm of new snow has buried a widespread crust. Strong winds have scoured surfaces down to the crust in most windward-facing terrain while forming deeper deposits of snow in lee terrain.

Currently, no significant concerns exist deeper in the snowpack.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear skies. 10 to 30 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C. Freezing level at valley bottoms.

Thursday

Cloud building through the day. 0 to 20 km/h north ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.

Friday

Mix of sun and cloud. 0 to 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1400 m.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with 0 to 2 cm of snow. Freezing level 1400 m. 20 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

• Start with conservative lines and watch for clues of instability.
• Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
• Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust.