630 am update: The most likely place to trigger an avalanche is where recent snow has been redistributed by wind.
Recent snow has been transported by strong southwest wind into reactive wind slabs in leeward terrain at upper elevations. Avoid freshly wind-loaded features.
Numerous storm and wind slab avalanches were reported size 1 to 2.5 during the week, triggered naturally, by humans and explosives. Most were on northwest to northeast aspects at upper elevations.
50 to 100+ cm of snow has accumulated over the past week or so. Recent snow has been affected by moderate southwesterly wind in open areas at treeline and in the alpine. In isolated sheltered areas, it may rest over a layer of surface hoar.
The prominent mid-December facet/crust layer is buried over 1 m deep and extends up to 2200 m. Triggering the crust is considered unlikely, except with large loads or in thin snowpack areas.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 5 cm of snow in most areas, 10 to 20 near Pine Pass. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -5 °C. Freezing level 800 m.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 1 to 5 cm of snow in most areas. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -4 °C. Freezing level 1200 m.
Monday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 20 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1700 m.
Tuesday
Mostly cloudy. 10 to 15 mm of rain at treeline. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
