Mixed snow conditions can be found: crusty, heavy, powdery and wind-affected.
Evaluate slopes on an individual basis before committing to them.
Lingering pockets of old wind slabs exist in a variety of lee features. Keep approaching convex and unsupported features with caution.
No new avalanches have been reported in our area lately. Keep sharing your observations via the MIN; it helps strengthen our information gathering.
A thin sun crust has formed on steep south-facing slopes. On other aspects, the surface varies from deeper pockets of wind-affected snow in the alpine and cohesion-less snow at treeline (40-50 cm). Further down in the snowpack, there are reports of a thick melt-freeze crust that produced signs of instabilities earlier this weekend. At around 1000 m the snowpack reaches a depth of around 90 cm.
Lower treeline and below treeline elevation are still below the threshold for avalanches.
An arctic ridge of high pressure will continue to be the main attraction. Conditions will be dry until the next frontal system, expected Wednesday night.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy. No precipitation. Light to moderate northerly ridge wind. Low -4 C at treeline. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Tuesday
Cloudy. Isolated flurries. 2-5 cm. Northwesterly ridge wind up to 50 km/h. High of -3 C at treeline. Freezing level around 500 m.
Wednesday
Snow in the afternoon 5 cm. Moderate southwesterly ridge wind increasing all day. High of -2 C at treeline. Freezing level around 600 m.
Thursday
Snow 30 cm. Southwesterly ridge wind up to 50 km/h. High of +0 C at treeline. Freezing level around 700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
