Look to alpine north aspects for the best ski quality. Solar aspects will likely be crusty and crunchy.
Weather Forecast
Cloudy with 4cm of snow and an alpine high of -6C. Ridge winds should remain light and freezing level is forecast to reach 1500m. The start of the new week calls for cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures are expected to remain cool and be accompanied by light westerly winds.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is generally well settled. 5-10cm of recent moist snow has now frozen into a breakable crust below treeline. Above treeline this new snow remains dry and unconsolidated burying a previous melt freeze crust that extends up to 2300m on all aspects and to mountain top on solar aspects. Cold dry snow may be found on high northerly aspects.
Avalanche Summary
Limited natural avalanche activity over the last couple days with one glide crack release size 2 on Friday. Previously we've seen numerous loose wet avalanches on steeper solar aspects. If the sun does appear move off steeper solar aspects.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Problems
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.