Forecast cooling and a bit more snow on Tuesday should keep winter alive at upper elevations for a few days yet...
Weather Forecast
After freezing levels went over 2600m Monday, a limited recovery is expected. An expected 15mm of precip will start in the morning falling as snow above 1800m and lowering as a cold front passes late in the day. Wednesday should remain cool with winds out of the North before temperatures start to climb again on Thursday with mainly sunny skies.
Snowpack Summary
10cm of snow fell over the weekend and moderate W winds created widespread wind slabs Treeline and above. This snow sits on a solid crust found everywhere but above 2400m on N aspects. Strong heating today created new surface crust on all but the highest N aspects and widespread loose dry and wet activity has affected snow surfaces.
Avalanche Summary
With the snow over the weekend there was a limited cycle of loose dry avalanches out of steep shaded terrain. With strong heating today widespread loose wet and a limited amount of wet slab activity was seen as the storm snow failed over the previous crusts.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Tuesday
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 Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.