Avalanche Forecast
Northwest Inland
Strong winds have produced wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded features. The best riding will be in areas sheltered from the wind and effects from the recent warming.
Avalanche Problem 1: Wind Slabs
What Elevation?
Which Slopes?
Chances of Avalanches?
Expected Size?
Travel and Terrain Advice
- Approach lee and cross-loaded slopes with caution.
- Avoid steep, rocky, and wind effected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.
Avalanche Summary
On Monday, small loose wet avalanches were observed from steep solar terrain. Otherwise, no new avalanches were observed.
Wind slabs were reactive to skier traffic on Sunday, producing small to large (size 1 to 2.5) avalanches in direct lee features at treeline and alpine elevations.
Snowpack Summary
Strong south to easterly winds have produced wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded features. This overlies a sun crust on solar aspects and a surface hoar and sugary facet layer on sheltered, shady aspects. Expect the snow surface to be a melt-freeze crust on solar aspects and on all aspects below around 1000 m.
A surface hoar and crust layer from January is buried around 80 to 140 cm. This layer still has the potential to be triggered from a thin snowpack spot, or with a large trigger like a cornice fall.
It is unlikely, but may be possible to trigger very large avalanches on facets at the bottom of the snowpack in steep, rocky, and shallow snowpack areas or with large triggers.
Weather Forecast
WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 2 to 5 cm, light to moderate southwesterly winds, alpine temperature -2 C, freezing level 1300 m.
THURSDAY: Cloudy with light snowfall, accumulation 1 to 3 cm, light northwesterly winds, alpine temperature -3 C, freezing level 1200 m.
FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud, light northwesterly winds, alpine temperature -1 C, freezing level 1400 m.
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Strong south to easterly winds have produced wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded terrain features. These slabs have been reactive to skier traffic.