The new snow may form reactive storm slabs, in areas where a slab is not found dry loose avalanches are likely.
50-80 cm sits above a crust and surface hoar which has produced natural, remote and rider-trigger avalanches in the past week. As the unconsolidated snow settles and forms a slab, a reactive upper snowpack may exist.
Storm slabs may be touchy, especially in wind effected terrain.
Dry loose power sluffing will likely exist in wind sheltered terrain, especially on steep slopes.
On Tuesday, dry loose sluffing from steep slopes and terrain features were seen across the region. Explosive control saw a few storm and wind slab avalanches up to size 1.5 from northeast east-facing terrain above 2300 m.
New storm slabs may be reactive on Thursday, especially in wind affected terrain. Dry loose power sluffing may be the name of the game in most places that are sheltered from the wind.
Up to 25 cm+ of low-density storm snow has buried a variety of snow surfaces. It sits above unconsolidated faceted snow, surface hoar and firm wind-pressed snow in open terrain at treeline and above.
Down 60-80 cm, a crust, facet and or surface hoar layer exists. This may become a problem once the snow above starts to stiffen and form a slab.
130+ cm down another surface hoar layer exists that was buried in early December. This seems to be of most concern above 2000 m where a robust crust doesn't exist above it.
Weak basal facets are likely to be found on the ground in shallow snowpack areas.
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with some flurries, ridgetop wind 15-20 km/h from the east, treeline temperatures near -15 C.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud, ridgetop wind 10-15 km/h from the southeast and treeline temperatures near -10 C.
Friday
Mix of sun and cloud with light snowfall amounts, ridgetop wind 10-20 km/h from the southwest, treeline temperature -7 C.
Saturday
New snow 5-10 cm, ridgetop winds light from the southwest, treeline temperatures near -3 C. Freezing levels 1600 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
