Dangerous avalanche conditions exist.
Avoid wind-loaded slopes, especially where wind slabs overlie facets or in thin, rocky terrain where persistent slabs are easier to trigger.
Wind slabs remain likely at higher elevations, particularly during periods of snow and increased wind transport. Small wind slabs have the potential to step down to deeper weak layers in the upper snowpack.
A buried layer of facets in the snowpack is expected to be more reactive in wind-affected thin rocky terrain features. If triggered this problem is likely to produce widely propagating large avalanches.
Large natural wind slab avalanches up to size 2.5 were observed over the past week, likely triggered during periods of rapid loading from strong winds. Avalanches occurred on a variety of aspects, highlighting variable wind patterns.
Please post any photos or observations to the MIN if you head out.
Recent snow over the last week has been redistributed by primarily southwest winds. Exposed terrain is wind-pressed or scoured down to old crusts formed in late January. While wind slab formation continues to occur in leeward or cross-loaded terrain.
Two notable layers exist in the snowpack. A layer of facets from early February, up to 40 cm deep. A thick crust from late January, 50 to 100 cm deep. Both of these layers are a concern in wind-affected terrain. Read more about persistent slab problem here.
The remainder of the snowpack is well settled.
Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 4 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 60 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Friday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1500 m.
Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 15 mm of rain at treeline. 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 2 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Sunday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -6 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
