Sasquatch

Human-triggered avalanches remain likely after a week of snow accumulating over a crust and periods of strong wind.

• Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
• Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
• Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeper layers resulting in large avalanches.

Moderate

• We are uncertain about how quickly the snowpack will recover and gain strength.
• We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.

We do not have any recent reports of avalanches, but suspect recent avalanche activity has occurred during periods of rapid loading from heavy snow and/or wind transport.

If you are heading into the backcountry, please share any observations with the Mountain Information Network.

Approximately 60 to 100 cm of snow has accumulated over the past week, burying a widespread crust at treeline and below. In alpine terrain, this crust is likely thin or absent. Periods of strong southwesterly wind have redistributed the new snow in exposed areas at higher elevations.

A crust with facets may exist 100 to 200 cm below the surface, primarily on northerly aspects at higher elevations. This layer appears unreactive but continues to be monitored.

The remaining snowpack appears strong and well-bonded.

Thursday Night
Cloudy. 5 to 15 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Friday
Cloudy. 2 to 3 cm of snow. 30 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 4 cm of snow. 20 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 5 cm of snow. 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.