Watch for wind effect in recent storm snow. Expect wind loading around ridgelines and in mid slope terrain features.
Strong winds have transported snow lower on slopes than you expect.
Deeper weak layers remain a concern for step down avalanches in wind loaded terrain.
Southwest winds will likely continue to form wind slabs in exposed terrain at treeline and above. These slabs will be found on east and north facing slopes sitting above facets and surface hoar, increasing reactivity and propagation.
If enough mass is present, wind slab avalanches could step down to deeper layers.
A layer of surface hoar, facets and, a crust from mid November is buried around 40-80 cm deep. This layer has become hard to trigger but could still be sensitive to rider traffic on isolated slopes at treeline and below where the snow above feels stiff, slabby and consolidated.
An increase in avalanche activity was reported during Sunday. Explosive testing at two different operations triggered many avalanches, all within the previous storm snow on north aspect terrain in the alpine. These avalanches where small to large (size 1 and 2) . Crown depths ranged from 20 to 40 cm and ran from 50 m in length to 150 m.
Additionally, professional snowmobile operations reported remotely triggering 8 small (size 1) avalanches during travel . These avalanche were located on south aspect terrain at 1600 m elevation , depths were approx. 30 cm with run lengths every short 3 m.
Activity from Friday was limited to small loose dry avalanches in steep terrain features.
If you are headed into the backcountry please consider filling out a Mountain Information Network report.
Sustained light to moderate southwest winds have continued to move snow, creating wind slabs on north and east facing terrain features. Wind slabs sit over hard wind affected surfaces, a layer of facets or surface hoar increasing reactivity.
The main concern is a layer of surface hoar, facets, or crusts buried 40 to 80 cm deep from mid November. Avalanche activity on this layer has tapered off but it could still be possible to trigger this layer in isolated terrain features near treeline. Triggering becomes more likely as temperatures rise.
Alpine snowpack distribution is variable, with depths ranging from 70 to 140 cm.
Monday Night
Cloudy with trace amounts of new snow. Moderate becoming light southwest winds 20 km/h. Freezing levels maintains at 500 m. Alpine temperatures cooling to -10°C .
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy with snowfall 1 to 5 cm. Moderate southwest winds 40 km/h. Freezing levels remain around 700 m with alpine temperatures of -4°C.
Wednesday
Mostly cloudy with light snowfall. Light southwest winds 15 km/h. Freezing levels remain below 500 m with alpine highs of -4°C.
Thursday
Clearing with no precipitation forecast. Light southwest winds 15 km/h. Freezing levels at valley bottom with alpine highs of -12°C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
