Snowpack conditions within the Kootenai Zone are generally stable at this time. The potential for small avalanches exists in isolate areas at tree line and above. Steep and extreme terrain may be harboring stubborn wind slabs, this problem will be your primary concern today. Dry Loose avalanches and sloughing will also be a concern if riding in terrain steeper than 35 degrees at upper elevations. Anticipate a rise in avalanche danger on Sunday as heavy snowfall is predicted to impact the area.
During the past week the area has experienced winds blowing and shifting from all sides of the mountain. This has created variable pockets of stubborn wind slabs that will be the primary concern if riding in steep terrain. I would be particularly cautious in areas directly below ridgelines and in steep chutes where loose snow may be trapped and compacted by shifting winds.
The surface of the snowpack consists of 6-10" of loose, cold and faceted snow that is resting on a very firm bed surface. In terrain greater than 35 degrees you can expect to generate a decent amount of loose snow sloughing when you ride. Keep this in mind before dropping into steep and confined terrain where this loose snow has the potential to accumulate. This problem can be easily managed by staying out of steep terrain or just taking a minute to allow this loose snow to clean out as you descend.
Yesterday our observations in the East Cabinets revealed a pretty stable snowpack consisting of 8-10" of cold, faceted snow resting on a thick rain crust. There are a couple of weaker layers under this crust but they are unlikely to be an issue due to the bridge created by this stout rain crust. Observations show a lot of variability in the surface of the snowpack as the winds have scoured some slopes down to the rain crust and deposited the loose snow in lower lying pockets of terrain. All the evidence we observed of previous avalanche activity appeared to be related to the warm and rainy cycle of last week. We did observe loose dry sloughing in steep terrain that was initiated with ski cuts, the loose snow releases easily due to the firm bed surface.
Looking forward this weekend we need to be thinking about the next weather system. The National Weather Service is predicting a fairly warm and moist system that will really start to influence our area on Saturday night and continue to deliver moisture into the coming week. Our current conditions are stable but have the potential to rapidly decline if we add a slab of dense and heavy snow. So, if you plan to ride on Sunday keep this in mind and pay very close attention to the surface condition. The obvious signs of increasing avalanche hazard will be easy to spot if the current weather forecast manifests!
