Windslabs remain the main concern, and will continue to build through the weekend.
Weather Forecast
Friday: The big news is increasing winds from the West with up to 30cm of snow available for transport. Cool temperatures and flurries through Saturday.Saturday: Winds dying down and switching to Light from the Northeast. Cloudy with flurries, and temperatures dropping throughout the day.Sunday: Cold temps with an inversion, moderate East wind.
Snowpack Summary
10-15cm of new snow has buried previous windslabs on all aspects. The midpack remains strong in deep snowpack areas, but may act as a slab above deep weak layers in shallower areas.
Avalanche Summary
A field trip to Cameron Lake on Thursday found evidence of recent small wind slab and loose dry avalanches in steep rocky terrain at all elevations. An anomalous size 2 slab was also observed below treeline in a steep and shallow snowpack feature that appeared to have failed on a deep weak layer.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality 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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.