Investigate conditions as you move through the terrain and dial back your terrain choices if you're seeing more than 30 cm of new snow.
Wind sheltered terrain will offer the best and safest riding.
New snow and strong southwesterly winds have built cohesive slabs in exposed lee areas. Slabs will likely be the deepest and most reactive on north and east aspects at treeline and above. Use extra caution as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
Wind slabs may be sitting on a crust making them especially reactive to ridder triggering.
On Saturday two notable wind slab avalanches were reported. First, a machine accidental, size 2-2.5, wind slab avalanche on a northeast aspect at 1900 m. See this great MIN report for photos. Second was a natural, size 2, windslab avalanche that initiated in steep northeast facing terrain. The avalanche ran off some cliffs and triggered a second slab below them.
On Friday, a small storm slab avalanche was triggered with a ski cut. Snowpack test reports have shown that there may be instability within the storm snow that fell this past week.
Please continue to post your reports and photos to the Mountain Information Network.
By Monday morning an additional 20-30 cm of new snowfall brings storm snow totals to 70-100 cm. At higher elevations, strong southwest winds are building deep pockets of windslab in lees.
A melt-freeze crust formed in mid-January is now buried up to 100 cm deep. At the moment this layer appears to be gaining strength though in isolated areas small facets are still found above the crust. The snow below this layer is consolidating nicely. Buried 120-150 cm is another layer of concern, a crust, formed near the end of December.
Snowpack depths are below seasonal averages. Total amounts range from 150 to 200 cm at treeline, but decrease significantly below 1500 m.
Sunday Night
Cloudy with convective flurries bringing 10-20 cm accumulation, perhaps up to 30-40 cm locally on southwesterly upslope areas. Winds southwest then switching to west 40 km/h gusting to 60. Treeline temperatures -3 °C. 1500 m freezing levels fall to 800 m.
Monday
Mainly cloudy with scattered convective flurries continuing in the morning, 3-5 cm accumulation at higher elevations. Winds west 20-40 km/h. Treeline temperatures -6 °C. Freezing level 1000 m.
Tuesday
Mainly sunny. Winds northwest 20 km/h gusting 40 km/h. Treeline temperatures -8 °C and freezing levels of 800 m.
Wednesday
Sunny. Winds west 20 km/h. Treeline temperatures -10 °C and freezing levels of 500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
