Avalanches are likely on wind-loaded features in the alpine. Continually assess conditions as they change through the day. Carefully evaluate wind loading as you move through the terrain and investigate the bond of wind slabs to the crust below.
Isolated wind slabs can still be found in exposed features in the alpine and may be reactive to human triggering. Wind slabs may be poorly bonded to the underlying crust. Investigate the bond between wind slabs and the layers below them before committing to a slope.
Storm snow sits above a hard melt-freeze crust, which may take time to bond. Back off steep slopes until they've had time to stabilize. Be especially cautious where winds have redistributed snow into deep pockets in lees, watch for an increase in slab properties and reactivity.
Expect small loose wet avalanches to become sensitive to skier triggering as precipitation in the form of rain will begin to unconsolidated the upper snowpack below 1000 m elevation bands.
There have been no new avalanches observed or reported in the region for the past week.
Continued light flurries have accumulated over a variety of surfaces including thin wind slabs in the alpine, small surface hoar in sheltered areas and a breakable freezing rain crust between 1100 m and 1600 m.
A hard crust is found 60 to 80 cm deep. Below this, the mid and lower snowpack is strong and consolidated.
Snowpack depths are reaching 230 cm at treeline.
Thursday Night
Overcast with continued light to moderate snowfall, 5 to 15 cm of accumulation. Winds southwest 40 km/h. Treeline temperatures -1 °C and freezing levels 500 m.
Friday
Cloudy with isolated flurries, 1 to 5 cm of accumulation. Winds west 30 km/h. Treeline temperatures -2 °C and freezing levels rise to 1000 m.
Saturday
Mainly cloudy with very light isolated flurries, 1 to 5 cm of accumulation. Winds northwest 30 km/h gusting to 70 km/h. Treeline temperatures -2 °C and freezing levels 1000 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with very light isolated flurries, 1 to 5 cm of accumulation. Winds northwest 20 km/h gusting to 60 km/h. Treeline temperatures -4 °C and freezing levels of 500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
