Many of you will be considering more aggressive objectives this weekend. Don't get complacent; carefully assess terrain, maintain safe travel techniques and watch for changing conditions due to wind or sun. Both can rapidly increase danger.
Weather Forecast
A ridge of high pressure is building today, bringing gusty westerly winds. Expect the light flurries this morning to taper off and the clouds should start to break this afternoon. Sunday should be mostly clear, with lots of sun and temperatures rising to -2. Monday another cold front enters the area bringing back the clouds and light flurries.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 40cm of recent snow is settling. It overlies a sun crust on steep solar aspects. Another layer down ~80cm consists large stellar's and a sun crust on steep solar aspects. The distribution of these layers is spotty, and test results indicate that they are stubborn to trigger but may propagate. Windslabs may exist just below ridgelines.
Avalanche Summary
3 natural avalanches were observed yesterday along the highway. They were size 2-2.5 from N and E aspects. Skiers in the Asulkan drainage reported an avalanche (suspect size 2) adjacent to the Cleaver in the Asulkan drainage. These avalanches were likely triggered by loading by steady moderate SW winds.
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.