Warm temperatures and constant weather are helping to stabilize the snowpack, but it will take more time to bridge and strengthen the snowpack over the weak basal layers near the ground.
Weather Forecast
No significant changes in the forecast. Temperatures will remain warm, with light south winds. Up to 5 cm of snow in the next 2 days.
Snowpack Summary
The Feb 13th rain crust lies underneath a melt-freeze crust up to 2000m elevation. The melt-freeze crust goes up to 2200m. A mixture of rounded and facetted layers are sandwiched between these upper layers and the weak depth hoar/ facets prevalent in the lower snowpack down to ground.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed or reported today.
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.