Human-triggered avalanches are likely as the new snow settles.
Areas unaffected by wind will offer the best riding quality and the lowest avalanche hazard.
New snow continues to accumulate on top of a widespread crust. Slab avalanches will be most reactive at higher elevations in wind-affected areas.
A crust with surface hoar or facets, buried on January 26, persists in the upper snowpack. While triggering this layer is becoming less likely, small wind slabs could step down to it, producing large avalanches.
On Thursday, several natural and skier-accidental size 1.5 to 2 storm and wind slab avalanches occurred in the region.
More notably, a few size 2 natural and skier-accidental avalanches were reported to fail on the February 6th crust on the same day. The skier-accidental avalanche was not triggered by the first member of the group; this points toward the crust having the potential to be a trickier persistent problem.
Be sure to post your observations to the MIN if you get out!
Approximately 30 to 60 cm of storm snow has accumulated, accompanied by strong southerly winds, burying a widespread crust that developed in early February. This crust is generally stronger and more supportive at treeline and above, while it is weaker or absent below treeline, where moist snow persists beneath the new snow.
A January 26 crust with surface hoar or faceted snow lies 60 to 120 cm deep, likely persisting only at higher elevations. At lower elevations, it has been rain-soaked and destroyed.
Otherwise, the snowpack is generally well settled and well bonded, with no other significant concerns.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy. 1 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -7 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy. 3 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 cm of snow. 20 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
Tuesday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 3 cm of snow. 40 km/h east ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -12 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
