We've all been waiting for the snow to come, don't let the powder fever lure you into high consequence terrain.
Allow time for the new snow to bond before increasing your exposure
New snow will be easily initiated in steep terrain and even small sluffs may gather surprising mass; enough to push you off your intended line. Consider your exposure to terrain traps below.
Up to 50cm of recent snow has formed storm slabs in the alpine and tree line, these are most reactive where they over lie a crust on solar slopes.
A natural avalanche cycle occurred on Tuesday with storm slabs avalanches up to size 2.5 reaching into the run out zones. Frequent flyer ran across the skin track in the Connaught valley. In the past few days several human triggered avalanches occurred failing at the base of the new snow from late last week.
In steep terrain loose dry avalanches are initiating easily and one skier was taken for a ride near Youngs Peak.
40-50cms of recent storm snow sits on a sun crust on solar aspects; firm wind effect in the alpine; and soft facetted snow on sheltered N aspects.
Below 2100m there is a crust down 70-80cm (from Dec 5th/6th).
The Dec 1 surface hoar layer is down 90-120cm and is decomposing. However, it still shows isolated signs of potential reactivity in snowpack tests.
The remnants of the storm passing over will bring flurries and easing winds before we enter the deep freeze on Thursday when the arctic air mass envelops the southern interior.
Tonight: trace of snow, light W winds, low -14 °C, freezing level at valley bottom (FZL-VB)
Wed: trace, light W winds, low -22 °C,FZL-VB
Thurs: light E winds, high -22 °C, low -36 °C, FZL-VB
Fri: sunny, light E winds, low -36 °C, FZL-VB
