Keep an eye on localized conditions. If more snow falls than is expected, some areas could see a rise in avalanche danger to Considerable.
Confidence
Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Tuesday will be cloudy with scattered flurries. Snowfall accumulations could reach 10cm by the end of day Tuesday with a further 5cm on Wednesday. Temperatures tomorrow will start out cold and then climb to -6 °C with moderate SW winds.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed.
Snowpack Summary
Moderate to strong SW winds combined with warm temperatures have added to the already widespread wind slab conditions in the Alpine and at Treeline. These slabs exist on all aspects, except in some specific windward terrain where the wind has stripped the snow down to bare rock. The Dec 15th interface (surface hoar on north aspects, sun crust on solar aspects) continue to produce results in snowpack stability tests. The November and October crusts deeper in the snowpack continue to facet and forecasters are watching these layers as a potential future problem.
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.