Sun crust on solar aspects and wind effect alpine and tree line, but open sheltered trees may still have some nice turns. Forecast snow Sunday into Monday may increase the hazard - keep an eye on the forecast.
Wind slab can be found in specific alpine and tree line terrain features. Watch out for hollow sounding snow where a hard wind slab sits over weak facets.
The slab problem overlies different layers depending on elevation and aspect. Lower elevations has a rain crust 40-60cm down with weak facets on top reacting to tests. Above 1950m, a buried facet layer down 40-50cm is the primary concern.
Widespread wind effect and stripping in alpine from previous strong to extreme SW winds. Wind slab in specific areas tree line and above. Thin sun crust on steep solar aspects up to ~2300m. The midpack is mostly supportive. Weak facet layer down ~20-30cm and a crust down 40-60cm below 1950m, faceting but still reactive in snowpit tests.
Nothing new reported in the latter part of the week. Expecting that sensitivity of wind slab problem is decreasing with time and no soft snow left for transport in the alpine; uncertainty remains regarding the persistent slab sitting on the late December facets.
Saturday
Variable cloud.
Precipitation: Nil.
Alpine temperature: High -9 C.
Ridge wind southwest 20-35 km/hr.
Freezing level valley bottom.
Sunday
Flurries.
Precipitation: 12cm.
Alpine temperature: Low -9 C, High -5 C.
Ridge wind southwest 15 gust 45 km/hr
Freezing level valley bottom.
Monday
Scattered flurries.
Precipitation: 4cm.
Alpine Low -12 C, High -6 C
