The expected winds and available snow will keep the treeline hazard steady at considerable. This is a great time to be curious with the snowpack. Let the snowpack earn your trust!
Weather Forecast
Mostly cloudy tomorrow with trace amounts of precip. The winds will be back for another visit! Expect steady, SW winds in the 25km/hr range with gusts up to 70km/hr. Alpine temperatures will max out at -7 with a freezing level well below valley bottom.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing new from the last 24hrs.
Snowpack Summary
Within the region we had another 3-5cm dusting overnight. This puts the Dec 4 surface hoar layer down 30cm on average (treeline & below). Below treeline this surface hoar layer is easily found in many open areas. Areas exposed to wind and/or sun don't seem to have as much of it. At treeline, the surface hoar is best described as "spotty". Some sheltered areas have it standing up, while other exposed areas have it laying flat and bonded to the neighboring layers. Up to 2160m, there were only soft slabs lingering from the wind event. Within the recent storm snow, stability tests showed a couple shears, but nothing too serious or long term. The alpine still has evidence of a natural cycle taking place over the last few days. Recently formed windslabs are present in the alpine as well. These are suspected to be touchy in nature.
Problems
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.
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.