Slopes that have not yet released still look primed to avalanche. Avoid exposure to large overhead terrain. If the sun comes out, expect solar aspects to decrease in stability, especially in steeper or thin areas.
Weather Forecast
Temperatures are forecast to cool over the next few days with light snowfalls expected overnight on Friday. Skies will remain partly cloudy but the sun may show up here and there. Be aware that the sun at this time of the year pack a lots of intensity and solar aspects can loose stability rapidly when the sun comes out.
Avalanche Summary
No new Natural or human triggered avalanche activity was observed or reported.
Snowpack Summary
5-10cm of recent snow is overlying a widespread temperature crust that can be found up to 2300m. Strong winds and recent new snow have created windslabs in Alpine terrain and isolated areas at treeline such as ridgelines and gullies. Moderate sheers were being noted down 30-40cm at the interface with the recent snow. Below this the midpack is well settled but the weak facetted base is still very pronounced and producing hard sheers that are very sudden in nature. Moist snow was being observed below 2000m later in the day on Friday.
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.