A small dose of snow is welcomed over the next 48 hrs but the temperatures will seem pretty chilly without the sun. Stay warm!
Weather Forecast
Thursday will be cloudy with flurries yielding up to 5 cm, however alpine temperatures will remain low at around -22 °C to -18 °C. Friday will remain mainly cloudy with isolated flurries, alpine temperatures: -24 °C, High -19 °C. Temperatures will warm slowly through the weekend and winds will remain light westerly winds at ridge top until Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
Isolated pockets of wind slab will be found in exposed areas at upper elevations over an old snow interface of facets, sun crust, wind effect, or surface hoar. 3 crusts extend into the lower limits of the alpine and are sitting dormant in the snowpack, the Nov 24 crust seems to be providing mid-pack strength over a lower, rotted, Halloween layer
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported or observed along the parkway.Explosive control at the local hill on Christmas Eve produced a few small avalanches from isolated pockets of wind slab.
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.