Avalanche activity appears to have tapered off with the drop in temperature. Bundle up if you are headed out!
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: A mix of sun and cloud with no new snow. Cold temperatures down low with a strong inversion breaking down overnight and light NE windsWednesday: Sunny with cloudy periods, alpine high -18. Light N winds.Thursday: Cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine high -15. Moderate W winds
Snowpack Summary
20-30cm of recent low density snow has been redistributed by previous strong to extreme west winds, and more recent moderate NE winds in the alpine and at treeline. This sits on a melt freeze crust below 2000m. The midpack is strong in deep snowpack areas, but the facets lingering at the bottom remain a concern in thinner areas.
Avalanche Summary
After peaking on Saturday with several storm slabs to size 2.5 reported in surrounding regions on N-NE aspects at treeline and in the alpine, avalanche activity appears to have tapered off with the drop in temperature.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
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.