Start on small slopes and retreat to mellower terrain if you find signs of instability like whumpfing, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches.
Avoid areas with dense, slabby snow.
The wind has calmed down for now, but cold temperatures may be keeping previously formed wind slabs from bonding to the loose, dry snow below.
A weak layer of surface hoar and facets or a crust is 25 to 45 cm deep. This layer may be reactive to human-triggering where a slab has developed above it. Watch for signs of instability.
On Wednesday, northwest of Golden, a small (size 1) rider triggered wind slab avalanche was reported on an east facing, treeline slope.
Also, small, loose avalanches were reported in steep terrain. These were either triggered naturally by wind loading or sun, or by rider traffic.
We expect unconsolidated snow will remain reactive to skier traffic in steep terrain. Carefully manage sluffing.
Expect to find 25-45 cm of soft, faceting snow on the surface in sheltered terrain at treeline and below. This covers a layer of surface hoar buried in late January that may be as large as 15 mm in some places. The surface hoar sits on loose, faceted snow in shaded terrain, and a crust on steep slopes facing the sun.
In the alpine, exposed terrain is generally wind-affected, and there is likely no surface hoar included in the late January layer, just facets, old wind-affected surfaces, or a sun crust.
A weak layer of facets from early December is 60 to 120 cm deep.
The base of the snowpack consists of a thick crust with facets or depth hoar in many areas.
Thursday Night
Clear. Light east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -17 °C.
Friday
Sunny. Light variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -17 °C. Possible temperature inversion above 1500 m.
Saturday
Mostly sunny. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -17 °C. Possible temperature inversion above 1500 m.
Sunday
Mostly sunny. 10-20 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -19 °C. Possible temperature inversion above 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
