Regions
South Coast Inland.
Don't let your guard down with the sunny weather and fresh snow. Take a cautious approach towards more aggressive terrain - especially steep, wind-affected terrain.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Fine weather for the foreseeable future. Significant warming begins Tuesday afternoon.Monday: Cloudy with sunny periods. Freezing levels around 700 m. Light northwesterly winds.Tuesday: Mainly sunny and becoming warm up high. Freezing levels rising to 1500 m. Light northerly winds.Wednesday: Sunny and warm. Light northerly winds. Freezing levels 3000m. Alpine high temperatures to +2 Celsius!
Avalanche Summary
Little activity has been reported lately, although there are not many observers out there right now. Small wind slabs are the most likely type of avalanche over the next few days.
Snowpack Summary
Approximately 30-50 cm of new snow now sits on top of a rain crust that formed during the wet weather in late November. The crust is reported to be thick (15 cm) below treeline and thin (2 cm) in the alpine. Southerly winds have blown snow around in exposed areas creating drifts and scoured areas. Stubborn wind slabs have formed near ridge crests and lee features.Tree line snow depths are approximately 110 cm throughout the region.
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.