Strong winds and new snow has increased avalanche hazard, especially above treeline. Avoid heavily loaded features and traveling near or below recently formed cornices.
Summary
Weather Forecast
We are mid-storm with an additional 8cm of accumulation expected today. Strong southerly winds with gusts to 70km/h and freezing levels rising to 1800m this afternoon. We return to a weak westerly flow later tonight with unsettled conditions and trace amounts of precipitation through to Tuesday. A high pressure ridge builds next week.
Snowpack Summary
Strong winds and new snow created a wind slab instability on lee features and in avalanche start zones. The Nov 23 temperature crust is down 15-30cm below treeline and snow is bonding poorly to this layer. The Nov 13 crust is widespread and down 70-120cm. Warmer temps this afternoon will encourage slab development in the upper snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
A report of a close call in Cheops N #6 (Nicci's Notch Couloir) in the Connaught drainage where a size 2.0 avalanche terminated 50m from a group of 2. Skiers also reported skier controlled size 1.5 slabs failing on the the Nov 23 temperature crust on open slopes below treeline. Several natural size 2.0-2.5 were observed in the highway corridor.
Confidence