New wind slabs may form with sustained northeast wind. Cold temperatures should keep the remainder of the snowpack tight.
A switch in wind to sustained northeast wind is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday. This reverse-loading pattern could form slabs on atypical slopes. Air temperature is cold so the slabs may be sluggish, but use particular caution as they will be most reactive during their formation.
MONDAY NIGHT: Cloudy with light snowfall, trace accumulation, 10 to 20 km/h north wind, alpine temperature -15 C.
TUESDAY: Partly cloudy, 40 km/h northeast wind, alpine temperature -20 C.
WEDNESDAY: Clear skies, 40 km/h northeast wind, alpine temperature -22 C.
THURSDAY: Partly cloudy, 20 km/h southwest wind, alpine temperature -19 C.
No avalanches were reported over the weekend.
Looking forward, new wind slabs may form with sustained northeast wind. These slabs could be triggered by riders and perhaps naturally as the wind continue to load starting zones.
In sheltered terrain, soft and consolidated snow may be found. In exposed terrain, a wind-affected snow surface prevails. Wind affected snow varies from wind-pressed snow to hard and thick wind slabs, which generally hardens with elevation.
A buried weak layer of surface hoar may still be found around 90 cm deep. It was found around Log Cabin and also in Powder Valley (see here). Avalanche activity on this layer hasn't been reported since the first week of January.
The lower snowpack is strong around White Pass, but a thinner and weaker snowpack structure is expected inland, such as in the Wheaton Valley and the south Klondike.
