Cooler temps should throw some milk at the spicy persistent slab problem but the consequences of getting burnt by buried weak layers is still high.
Persistent weak layers have been reactive in recent days, with remote triggers and wide propagations. Cooler weather may improve things but don't let your guard down. The consequences of triggering an avalanche on these layers is high.
Very large, scary persistent slab avalanche activity has been reported daily throughout the week. On Thursday, several remotely triggered avalanches were reported size 2.5-3 (very large!) at alpine and treeline elevations. Many of these avalanches were triggered by riders from hundreds of meters away. Slabs have been failing on a weak layer 50 to 100 cm deep.
A widespread surface crust exists on most aspects and elevations.
60 to 80 cm of well-settled snow sits over a weak layer of facets and surface hoar buried in mid February. As of Friday, snowpack tests in the Spearhead zone indicate this layer may finally be starting to gain strength.
Another weak layer, from late January, is buried 80 to 120 cm deep. This may present as a crust on sunny slopes, sugary facets in most places, and surface hoar in sheltered spots. Large natural, remote and human-triggered avalanches have been reported on this layer this week.
For more details, check out Zenith's snowpack update from Friday.
Saturday night
Partly cloudy. 20 to 30 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1°C. Freezing level dropping to 1400 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with a trace of snow. 10 to 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Monday
Sunny. 10 to 20 km/h northeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0°C. Freezing level 1600 m.
Tuesday
Sunny. 20 to 30 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1°C. Freezing level 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
