Clear skies are forecast for tomorrow. Solar radiation may be an issue. Pay attention to the aspect of your line or route and plan accordingly. MM
Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain
Weather Forecast
The calm before the storm. Temperatures will drop to more seasonal ranges for the next 2 days. Winds will decrease to moderate and there will be almost no precip. BUT, starting on Tues a system is forecast to move in and bring some precip. The peak of the storm will be wed morning. Up to 32cm's can be expected. This system is almost another Pineapple Express. The freezing level will go up to 1500m.
Avalanche Summary
A natural sz2 in the east facing paths on Little Tent Ridge. A sluff from above looked to be the trigger. The starting elevation was the surprise with this avalanche. It happened at the TL elevation and originated in very skiable terrain.
Snowpack Summary
No significant new snow today, however there were some isolated flurries that left light amounts. Wind transport was the name of the game in the alpine today. Lots of redistribution of the recent storm snow today. Soft slabs can be expected from this wind. TL & BTL had another day of sun to soften and settle the snow. At TL, the upper layer was much more consolidated and cohesive with the layers below. BTL saw lots of sun crust and moist snow. Solar aspects will have challenging skiing.
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.
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.