Confidence
Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
Monday: Cold with some flurries. Freezing level near surface.Tuesday: Light snow. Westerly winds. Cold.Wednesday: Moderate-heavy snow (poor confidence in Wednesday's snowfall amounts at this stage - stay posted).
Avalanche Summary
On Saturday, numerous avalanches were triggered by skiers and explosives. They failed in, or at the base of, the storm snow.
Snowpack Summary
Treeline snowpack depths are around 250cm.New snow has been shifted into wind slabs overlying a hard crust, which is topped by surface hoar in some locations. It may be easy to trigger slabs on this interface, which is most prevalent below 1900m. Deeper in the snowpack, a series of old storm snow layers and wind slabs have generally bonded well to each other and are now gaining strength, with hard results in snowpack tests.Concern for lower snowpack layers has diminished and remains only in shallow snowpack areas. Facets associated with a crust from mid-December and/or sugary facets at the base of the snowpack may still be a concern in shallow areas. Cornices are large and have shown fragility recently.
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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.