Previous strong winds have formed reactive wind slabs which require careful evaluation and cautious route finding if you venture into higher elevations or open areas. Decent skiing can be found in low elevation sheltered areas.
Weather Forecast
Scattered flurries on Saturday as the arctic low moves over our region and dry cold air continues to filter southward. Up to 5cm of snow over night as the temps dip into the -20 range again for s short period of time, with light NE winds. Clearing skies and warmer temps for Christmas day.
Snowpack Summary
10 cm of fresh snow may be found in sheltered areas. Previous strong winds have built slabs in lee features, cross loaded gullies and added to the size of cornices. Weak layers include; buried surface hoar (Dec 11) in sheltered NE aspects around treeline (2100-2300m) and the Nov 12 crust approximately 30cm from the ground..
Avalanche Summary
No new reports or observations in the past 24 hours. The wind loading over the past 4 days has developed reactive slabs. Once triggered these may propagate widely and step down to the November rain crust producing large, fast running avalanches.
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.
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.