Flurries over the next few days will incrementally add loose snow to the slopes.
While this often makes for fun, predictable descents in dreamy conditions, you will need to watch for seemingly innocent small sluffs that can knock you off your feet.
Gusty winds will load leeward slopes in wind-exposed terrain. Expect this problem to be most reactive in ridge top features. If triggered, these avalanches may travel farther and faster than expected on a buried crust.
Watch your sluff on steeper terrain. There is enough dry, loose powder on the surface that can quickly build up and push you off your feet.
Dry, loose avalanches up to size 1 were noted from steeper Alpine terrain (>40 degrees) on all aspects.
A widespread, natural avalanche cycle occurred up to size 4.0 on Mar 19-20 during the atmospheric river. Check out pics from the recent mega avalanche cycle in the MIN Reports. It shows some of the huge debris piles that are making travel challenging.
Gusty winds have created wind slabs in exposed terrain, while sheltered features hold dry, loose snow lying on a firm crust. South through West aspects may have a surface crust on steeper slopes.
Below the storm snow, a strong crust exists up into treeline. Another crust from early March is down 70-150cm.
Travel can be challenging below treeline with frozen tree bombs and huge avalanche debris from last week's super storm.
Minor flurries with light winds.
Tonight Clear periods. Alpine low -6°C. Ridge wind S 15-25km/h. Freezing level (FZL) valley bottom.
Wed Cloudy, scattered flurries, 5cm. High -1°C. Wind 10-30km/h. FZL 1800m.
Thurs Cloudy with sun, isolated flurries, trace amounts. High -2°C. Wind NW 10-25km/h. FZL 1900m.
Fri Cloudy with sun, isolated flurries, trace amounts. High -4°C. Wind SW 20-30km/h. FZL 1800m.
