A lot going on in the next 3 days with up to 30 cm of new snow by Sunday and strong winds with climbing temperatures Sunday and Monday. We expect to see storm and wind slabs with the new snow and wet loose avalanches with the warm weather Monday. Make conservative terrain choices and be aware of your overhead exposure.
This storm has arrived with strong ridgetop winds likely forming deeper slabs in lee features. With up to 30 cm of snow possible by Saturday we may also see storm slabs on all aspects.
This problem remains a concern on high northerly aspects where the bridging crusts are thin or non-existent.
This will likely be a problem once temperatures start climbing Sunday into Monday.
No new avalanches observed in the past 3 days, however visibility has limited observations.
We have had 15 cm of new snow since the 20th and expect another 10 - 15 cm overnight on Friday. This new snow has arrived with strong ridgetop winds so expect wind slabs in lee features in the alpine and treeline. There is a robust melt freeze crust buried 30 - 70 cm deep. This crust exists everywhere except for northerly aspects above 1900 m. The January drought layer lies 50 –130 cm deep, with snow depths at treeline averaging 130–200 cm.
We will likely have a decent snowfall Friday into Saturday and then a significant warming trend early in the week. See the table below for a more detailed forecast.
Check out the Mountain Weather Forecast for the most up to date information.
