After several weeks of no change, the danger level is expected to rise this week due to increased snowfall and strong to extreme winds. The surface hoar and surface facets will not bare the new snow load well. It is time to pull in the reins!
Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Tuesday
Weather Forecast
Monday will see winds up to 100km/h out of the NW and temperatures near -11. An additional 5 to 10cm of snow is possible with as much as 40cm possible Tuesday night.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing observed, but visibility was mainly obscured.
Snowpack Summary
10 to 15cm of new snow at treeline in the past 36hrs. Further wind slab development has occurred in alpine areas and loading was ongoing due to strong W and NW winds.
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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.
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.