Keep making conservative terrain choices as the new snow settles and stabilizes. Dial up your caution if you encounter signs of instability like shooting cracks or recent avalanches.
Cool temperatures could prevent deep accumulations of new snow from gaining slab properties. This may allow riders to trigger powerful dry loose avalanches in steep terrain.
Watch for signs of slab formation in the new snow, particularly in wind-affected areas and where buried surface hoar could be preserved (think sheltered openings at mid elevations).
We're waiting on reports from an almost certainly busy day for avalanche activity Tuesday as 20-40 cm of new snow blanketed the region. The scene was likely similar to the end of the week when we saw 30-60 cm of new snow.
That storm led to a mix of numerous storm slab and dry loose releases, mainly to size 1.5 (small). Will we see anything larger in this round?
Expect new snow to remain sensitive to triggering, particularly in windy areas and where surface hoar may be preserved.
Roughly 25-30 cm of new snow fell in the region early this week. It buried moderately wind-affected surfaces and wind slabs in exposed areas at elevation, but mainly added to 30-60 cm of storm snow from Saturday. All this snow collectively sits on an aspect and elevation-dependent mix of crusts, surface hoar, and facets. Areas where surface hoar may be preserved are a concern.
A crust formed by early December rain is found ~70 cm deep, and an old layer of surface hoar 60 to 100 cm deep. Recent observations suggest triggering this layer is unlikely.
The lower snowpack is variable throughout the region and weak basal facets are likely to be found on the ground in shallow snowpack areas.
Tuesday night
Cloudy with continuing flurries bringing a final 5-10 cm of new snow. Southwest alpine winds shifting northwest, 10-30 km/h, easing.
Wednesday
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. West or northwest alpine wind, 15-30 km/h. Treeline temperature -14°C.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Variable, mainly northwest alpine wind 5-25 km/h. Treeline temperature -20°C to -25°C.
Friday
Sunny. Northwest alpine wind 5-15 km/h. Treeline temperature -30°C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
