Caution as you transition into wind-exposed terrain. Avalanches are possible where wind slabs have formed in the alpine.
Use caution in wind-affected areas. Recent snow and strong westerly winds have formed wind slabs in lee terrain features in the alpine that may remain reactive to human triggering.
Thursday night: Cloudy, isolated flurries with 1-3 cm accumulation possible, moderate southwest winds, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level around 1300 m.
Friday: Cloudy, isolated flurries with a trace of accumulation, moderate southwest winds, alpine high temperature near 0 C, freezing level around 1500 m.
Saturday: Cloudy, 7-12 cm of snow, moderate southwest wind, alpine high temperature near 0 C, freezing level dropping from around 1400 m.
Sunday: Decreasing cloud cover, 5-15 cm of snow, light northerly winds, alpine high temperature -6 C
There have been few recent avalanches reported in the region. A couple of small wind slabs triggered by explosives have been observed. If you are getting out into the mountains, let us know what you see by posting to the Mountain Information Network!
Strong westerly winds have redistributed the 10-15 cm of recent snow into wind slabs on lee features at upper elevations. These lingering slabs sit on a mix of sugary, faceted snow and hard, wind-affected snow.
The total snowpack depth is between 50-100 cm in the alpine, and tapers rapidly at lower elevations. Two crusts have been reported in the middle of the snowpack. There is uncertainty as to how well the snow is bonding to these crusts.
