Temps are forecast to increase tomorrow and we may see some sun come out. Watch for the solar radiation de-stabilizing slopes on solar aspects throughout the day.
Weather Forecast
Winds are forecast to begin to decrease overnight and temperatures begin to climb slightly. Freezing level is forecast to only reach 2100m but more sun will be likely Sunday so we may see solar radiation begin to destabilize the slopes on solar aspects.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity was observed on Saturday with field teams in the tent ridge area. Conditions were obscured in most areas with poor light.
Snowpack Summary
A few cm of snow overnight and throughout the day on Saturday. This came with strong winds and cool temps and prompted a return to winter. This snow is overlying widespread crusts on on aspects up to 2200m and on solar aspects up to 2700m. New windslabs are being encountered in Alpine terrain or N through east aspects as a result of strong winds over the past few days. Solar aspects have also been blow down to the previous crust in alpine terrain. 100-140cm of settled snow is overlying the weak basal facets. Moderate to hard sheers persist in these basal facets and are sudden collapse in nature. There is no hit of the snowpack starting to go isothermal in most areas.
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.