Watch for pockets of soft wind slabs in isolated terrain features that remain possible for human triggering.
A small avalanche in extreme terrain can have serious consequences.
New snow from the weekend and light southwest winds have built soft windslab in lees. These can likely be found on west, north and east facing terrain at treeline and above. Take care around ridgelines.
In sheltered areas at treeline these wind slabs could overlie a layer of surface hoar.
No new avalanches have been observed or reported in this region. However, note that we have had very few field observations. Please submit a Mountain Information Network report if you are heading to the backcountry!
27 cm of new snow has been redistributed by southwest winds forming soft wind slabs in lees. On south-facing slopes this new snow has fallen on a sun crust and in sheltered terrain, it sits over a layer of weak surface hoar.
Buried 30 to 50cm deep, a layer of surface hoar, crust, and faceted crystals is a layer of concern. Observations are limited in this region but this layer has already produced avalanches in the neighboring regions.
Snowpack depths at upper treeline is around 80 - 100 cm.
Sunday Night
Cloudy. Light northerly ridge winds. Alpine temperatures, low of -8. Freezing levels drop from 1000 m to valley bottom overnight.
Monday
Mix of sun and cloud. Isolated flurries possible, trace accumulation. Light northerly ridge winds. Alpine temperatures, high of -7. Freezing levels rise to 500m.
Tuesday
Sunny with cloudy periods. Light to moderate northerly ridge winds. A weak alpine inversion brings alpine temperatures around -4 while the valley bottom remains -9.
Wednesday
Mix of sun and cloud. Light to moderate northerly ridge winds. Alpine temperatures, high of -7.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
