Up to 20cm of recent snow has formed storm slabs due to warm temps and wind loading. These slabs will be sensitive in steep, unsupported terrain. Carefully evaluate the bond between the slabs and the underlying crust or surface hoar layer.
Confidence
Fair - Due to limited field observations
Weather Forecast
Light flurries and high freezing levels (2000m) on Wednesday. winds will also be strong out of the SW. Another storm on Thursday could bring 20cm of snow over the course of the day.
Avalanche Summary
Isolated solar triggered loose wet slides on steep solar aspects up to size 1.0.
Snowpack Summary
15cm of new snow at treeline over variety of surfaces, including crusts on solar aspects and pockets of surface hoar in sheltered northerly aspects. Visible wind affect in alpine areas indicating wind slab development. Snowpack is settling rapidly with warm temperatures.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.