This is NOT the time to be in avalanche terrain. If you do head out, be very aware of the snowpack conditions as you travel. Use very small terrain features to test the snow and see how it reacts. MM
Weather Forecast
The snow is expected to stop tonight. The flow will swap to a northerly direction and of course the temps will fall with that swap. Saturday has clear skies forecasted with light winds.
Avalanche Summary
We had two remote avalanches today on our snow study trip. Both features were at treeline and on steep, unsupported rolls. The crust was the failure plain. Both avalanches were sz1. There was a surprising amount of sluffing on the few steeper turns we had.
Snowpack Summary
LOTS of new snow out there. We have had up to 55 cm's in the last few days. The winds haven't packed the punch that we expected, but windslabs, and settlement slabs are still widespread. As expected, the bond with the deeper layers is poor. The deeper layers consist of a facets and a variety of crusts. The most significant crust is the Nov 6th. which is up 10cm's from the ground and buried under 30-50cm's at treeline.
Problems
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
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.