Cool temperatures will keep crusts frozen. There are still some lingering wind slabs on high northerly aspects where the snow remains dry and cold.
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Flurries, accumulation 5cm / Light north wind / Alpine temperature -6 / Freezing level 1400m FRIDAY: Mix of sun, cloud and scattered flurries / Light south wind / Alpine temperature -5 / Freezing level 1500m SATURDAY: Mainly cloudy / Light northwest wind / Alpine temperature -6 / Freezing level 1500m
Avalanche Summary
A widespread natural avalanche cycle to size 3 was reported over the past several days. These were primarily wet loose avalanches on sunny aspects; however, on Saturday some did step down to the mid-February layer (with 50-70 cm crowns) on southerly aspects. Large cornice falls were also reported on the weekend that were mostly entraining the surface snow only.
Snowpack Summary
Recent sun and warm temperatures have resulted in moist or wet snow on sunny aspects that is then freezing to form a crust overnight. North and east facing slopes still have cold dry snow that sits on a well-settled snowpack. Deeper persistent weak layers from January and December are generally considered dormant, but could wake up with a surface avalanche stepping down, cornice fall, or a human trigger in a shallow or variable-depth snowpack area. These layers consist of sun crust, surface hoar and/or facets.
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.