Persistent slabs remain prime for human-triggered avalanches, especially at treeline.
Choose low-consequence terrain and avoid shallow areas where triggering is more likely.
Forecasted winds will continue to develop fresh, reactive slabs in leeward terrain. If triggered, wind slabs avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger than expected avalanches.
Several recent avalanches in the region continue to be triggered on a layer of buried surface hoar or weak, sugary facets overlying a crust. Avoid shallow areas where triggering these avalanches is most likely.
Large avalanches continue to surprise skiers across the region. On Monday, large slabs (up to size 2) were remotely triggered from a distance, indicating a touchy snowpack over a persistent weak layer. Many groups recently traveling in the backcountry have also reported signs of instability like whumpfing and shooting cracks.
For more information, click on the photos below.
Expect to find up to 25 cm of settled snow in wind-sheltered and shady areas. This snow covers wind-affected surfaces or a crust on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations. A layer of weak, faceted crystals over a crust, or surface hoar, is the primary layer of concern, buried around 40 to 80 cm.
A sun crust may have formed on the surface on steep south and west-facing slopes, and snow will be heavier and possibly moist or crusty at lower elevations.
Tuesday Night
Cloudy with 2 cm of new snow expected. 40 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around -4 °C. Freezing level returning to valley bottom.
Wednesday
Cloudy with 2 cm of new snow expected. 50 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around 0 °C. Freezing level rising to 1200 m.
Thursday
Cloudy with 2 to 5 cm of new snow expected. 50 to 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around +2 °C. Freezing level around 1800 m.
Friday
Cloudy with no precipitation, 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperatures around +5 °C. Freezing level rising to 2200 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
