Significant snowfall accumulation is to hit our region today and carry into the night.
Expect reactive storm slabs and use extra caution in wind-loaded terrain.
Another storm is rolling into our region Wednesday morning bringing lots of snow and wind. Snow will be sitting on a variety of surfaces. Expect storm slabs to form and be reactive to human triggering.In exposed areas, you may find deeper than expected of wind deposited snow.
Operators are still reporting natural and human-caused avalanches from storm slabs and wind slabs that were created during and since our last storm.
With incoming weather, expect more of these types of avalanches to be occurring.
New storm snow today will be sitting on new and old wind slabs These wind slabs can be found on all aspects and at most elevations.
Up to 80 cm now sits over a layer of small surface hoar, facets, and wind-affected surfaces.
A crust from late January exists around 140 to 180 cm below the surface. Beneath the crust, the snowpack is generally consolidated but as you move further inland there are instabilities found near the ground where the snowpack is thinner.
The total height of snow varies between 450 cm near the coast and 250 cm further inland.
Tuesday Night
Increasing clouds, trace accumulation, winds northwest 25 km/h switching to west 45 km/h by morning, treeline temperatures -8 ºC.
Wednesday
Cloudy, 20 to 25 cm accumulation more in coastal zones, winds southwest 30 km/h gusting to 60, treeline temperatures -10 ºC, and warming throughout the day.
Thursday
Cloudy, another 25 to 35 cm accumulation mostly arriving by morning, winds southwest 30 km/h gusting to 60, treeline temperatures, -7 ºC.
Friday
Clouds with late-day sunny breaks, 3 cm accumulation, winds southwest 30 km/h, treeline temperatures -8 ºC.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
