New snow and wind are building fresh wind slabs at upper elevations.
Verify conditions and check for signs of instability before entering steep or committing slopes.
New snow and wind are forming fresh wind slabs at upper elevations. Moderate southwest winds will be building deeper deposits on leeward slopes. In some areas slabs may be more reactive where they overlay surface hoar or a crust.
On Saturday
Several small, size 1 slabs were observed on steep northerly slopes at treeline elevations north of Clearwater.
Looking forward
With light amounts of new snow in the forecast and moderate wind, we can expect that triggering wind slabs will remain possible on Monday.
If you head into the backcountry, consider sharing your observations with the Mountain Information Network.
Around 3 to 10 cm of new snow is expected in the region by Monday afternoon, accompanied by moderate southwest winds. This new snow will add to the 10 to 20 cm that has accumulated over the past few days. This snow may be sitting on a thin crust on steep southerly aspects, as well as surface hoar in isolated, sheltered areas.
A mid-December crust lies 30–50 cm deep, found up to 2200 m. Additional crusts exist in the mid and lower snowpack, including a mid-November crust with facets above and below, but neither of these layers is currently a concern.
Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 3 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Monday
Cloudy. 2 to 10 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 15 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Wednesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 4 to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
