Update 7:10 am: New snow & wind are building reactive slabs.
Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy snowfall and strong wind.
A persistent weak layer of surface hoar or facets is buried 80 to 150 cm. This layer remains a concern on upper-elevation northerly through easterly slopes.
New snow and wind will be forming fresh reactive storm slabs. Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase throughout the day as snow accumulates.
Fri: Explosive control produced a few storm slabs to size 2 on northeast facing slopes.
Thurs: A widespread natural cycle was observed in the Lizard Range with storm slabs up to size 2.5. Explosive control also produced numerous small storm slabs.
Wed: Explosive control produced dry loose and storm slab avalanches to size 2 on north through east facing slopes.
Looking forward: Natural and human-triggered avalanches will be likely on Sunday.
30 to 40 cm of recent snow previously formed widespread storm slabs. An additional 20 to 30 cm is forecast to fall overnight and through Sunday, with wet snow or rain at lower elevations. Moderate to strong southwesterly winds are expected to build especially reactive slabs on lee north through east facing slopes near ridgetops.
A persistent weak layer of surface hoar or facets from late January is buried 90 to 150 cm. This layer triggered large avalanches earlier in March, and remains reactive in snowpack tests. The greatest concern for this weak layer is on upper-elevation northerly and easterly slopes. The lower snowpack is generally well-settled and strong.
Saturday Night
Cloudy, with 5 to 15 cm of snow. 30 to 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -8 °C.
Sunday
Cloudy, with 5 to 15 cm of snow, possible rain below 1300 m. 30 to 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level rising to 1600 m.
Monday
Partly cloudy, with up to 3 cm of snow. 20 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy, with up to 3 cm of snow. 15 to 30 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level rising to 1500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
