Breakable, and semi-breakable crust dominates Below Treeline, and on all sunny slopes, sitting above punchy, moist snow. Higher up, modest amounts of recent snow, falling with SW winds, have created both wind slabs, and reasonable skiing.
Weather Forecast
On Wednesday, the Freezing Level rises to at least Treeline, with occasional flurries/showers. Thursday/Friday look cloudy, with temperatures cooling steadily. Several forecasts predict 5-10 cm of new snow falling on Thursday. Wednesdays' wind will be Moderate from the SW, rising through Thursday / Friday to Strong or Extreme from the SW.
Snowpack Summary
25mm of precipitation with strong SW wind over the weekend left a rain crust and moist/punchy snow below 2200m, and built 20-30cm thick wind slabs on lee slopes at Treeline and Alpine elevations. Another crust buried 40cm deep at treeline produced hard, but sudden, results in snowpack tests on Tuesday. Surface crusts exist on sunny aspect slopes.
Avalanche Summary
A Size 1.5 naturally triggered avalanche was observed to have occurred near Cameron Lake on Tuesday. This started in steep, un-skiable, NE aspect Alpine terrain.
Confidence
Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Thursday
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.