Little change is expected today in the snowpack, however this evening a strong system is expected to bring snow for the next several days, burying a layer of surface hoar and facets. Avalanche hazard will change over the weekend, stay tuned.
Weather Forecast
An arctic front lying just north of Golden, combined with a mild SW flow, will bring light precipitation to Glacier Park in early evening (up to 10cm). Precipitation will continue through Thursday, but the brunt of the snow will arrive on Friday.
Snowpack Summary
No new snow, and cool overnight temperatures are promoting near surface faceting and surface hoar. The Nov. 16 sun crust and Nov. 6 rain crust appear to be dormant for the time being. The primary concern today are wind slabs above treeline.
Avalanche Summary
A registration shoot yesterday in steep start zones produced small slab avalanches to size 2. Otherwise no new avalanche activity.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
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.