Continued wind and natural activity tells us the snowpack hasn't stabilized just yet. Stick to conservative terrain for now.
Weather Forecast
Tonight: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Trace precip. -7 as an alpine low and 2500m winds from the west, 55-60km/hrTomorrow: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine high of -4. West winds at 50km/hr.
Avalanche Summary
2 slab avalanches were noted today. They ranged in size from 1-1.5. Both of them were on an east aspect and alpine terrain. There was also 1 loose dry noted out of a steep snow slope. Possibly cornice triggered
Snowpack Summary
Extreme alpine winds from the west have kept the transport going. Most high areas have been stripped of snow on windward aspects, but some lower areas have seen some slab growth over the last 24hrs. At treeline, expect a supportive snowpack with wind slabs in any open terrain. Having said that, in shallow areas, the weak snow is still producing the occasional loose dry "facalanche" out of steep terrain. Very little change below treeline in terms of the snowpack. It is still weak and un supportive in many areas. Snow depth seems to be the key to supportive traveling. Metre plus areas have a better feeling snowpack.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.