We didn't get enough snow for a reset, but it is enough to change conditions. Time to rein it in a little.
Weather Forecast
An arctic front passing through the area today will bring light flurries. Moderate northerly winds are expected as the front passes, and temperatures will drop through the day as the arctic air settles in. Overnight a ridge of high pressure will build. We will be back into a drought with clear skies, no snow, and temps of -10 to -16 expected.
Snowpack Summary
5cm of snow has buried various surfaces, with moderate winds moving it around. On steep solar aspects it will bond poorly to a suncrust, and elsewhere it will help preserve surface hoar and surface facets. In the alpine it hides hard windslabs and challenging skiing. The mid-pack is well settled and strong, with weaker basal layers.
Avalanche Summary
No new natural avalanches were observed yesterday. Recently, field teams were able to ski-cut thin (5cm) hard slabs in wind affected areas in the alpine. There are also reports of small loose avalanches (sluffs) triggered by skiers in steep terrain on shaded slopes.
Confidence
Wind effect is extremely variable
Problems
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.
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.