Storm slab and Loose wet snow reactivity will continue to increase today as new snow and rain fall across the region. More weight will be added to the snowpack, as significant amounts of precipitation continue to fall. Snow should be evaluated carefully. Wet snow in steep terrain shouldn't be trusted. It'd be best to give the snowpack a couple days to recover, and stay on lower angle terrain today.
Snow/rain, winds, and warm temps can cause quick snowpack changes. In most areas, recent storm snow is overlying surface hoar from last week. Check for slab sensitivity: how easy and clean an interface breaks. In addition to looking for snowpack red flags, use quick hand pits, and skin/sled track cuts while in simple terrain.
The rainline across the Selkirk/Cabinet zone is forecast to move up to 6300' ft today. Rain on the top portion of the snowpack will lubricate the snow in the upper snowpack making it more susceptable to avalanching. The rain primarily effects the surface snow, creating a loose snow avalanche problem, but it also adds weight to the snowpack which negatively effects deeper instabilities in the pack. I have less confidence in the current snowpack with the arrival of rain. It will be best to give the snowpack a couple of days to absorb the rain and stabilize again. The snowpack is generally at it's weakest during or right after the rain. Avoid steep slopes where wet loose avalanches are possible.
On Thursday, Brian and Micah toured near the Snow Creek drainage in the vicinity of the Cooks Lake Area. They started at around 5200' and it was a noticeably warm start to the tour. At around 5600' they began to take note of evidence of a layer of buried surface hoar mixed in with some fragmented snow lingering about 15 cm beneath the surface. They did not experience any "red flags," including no signs of natural avalanches. Most of the new snow in the area had fallen without much influence of wind. The primary avalanche problem we are experiencing currently is the result of snow brought in over the recent days. Between storms, the snowpack surface has been affected either by warming, cold nights or rain.
Have a great day! Might be a great day to break out that rain slicker...again!
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