Assess for new wind slabs as you gain elevation
Wind slabs could be touchy due to the underlying weak layers
Newly formed wind slabs will likely be found in exposed terrain. These slabs could be touchy due to the weak layers underneath.
At the time of publishing, no new avalanches were reported in the past week. It’s possible that human triggered avalanches could have occurred late in the day on Saturday.
Up to 20 cm of new snow may accumulate by Sunday morning. This new snow will be accompanied by moderate to strong southeast winds forming wind slab on north and west aspects. In sheltered terrain this new snow may overlie soft, faceted snow or surface hoar. In exposed terrain it will overlie a sun crust or wind-affected snow.
A late-January weak layer (hard crust, facets, or surface hoar) is buried 60 to 100 cm deep, but the overlying snow lacks slab properties, so it is not currently a concern.
The lower snowpack is strong and bonded.
Saturday Night
Cloudy with 5 to 15 cm of snow. 30 to 50 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy with 5 cm of snow. 10 to 20 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C.
Monday
Mostly cloudy with up to 5 cm of snow. 10 km/h variable ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy with trace amounts of snow. 15 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -2 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
