Be aware that it is still winter in the alpine! While recent wind and snow has created some touchy new slabs, these have remained quite small to this point, watch for continued snow and slightly warmer temperatures to potentially raise the hazard.
Weather Forecast
It is still winter up high! A short break following Saturday's wind and snow before another pulse of 10 -20 cm for Sunday through Monday, with what are forecast to be lighter South, shifting East, winds. Freezing levels may crest 2200m Monday and Tuesday with yet another pulse of snow in the forecast for late in the day Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
10 - 20 cm of new snow over the last 48 hours with wind effect from moderate - strong SW winds. Buried temperature crusts exist to 2000m on all aspects and higher on solar slopes. The March 15 sun crust is down 25-50 cm on solar aspects in the alpine, this, and shallow areas harboring weak facets remain worth watching as temperatures slowly climb.
Avalanche Summary
The recent snow and winds continue to form touchy new slabs: Skiers on the Chickadee - Boom traverse observed a sz 1.5 Na in NE facing alpine terrain and passed on a report of a skier triggered avalanche on the SE slope of the Whymper traverse. Skiers also reported easy triggering of soft slabs on test slopes near around the Crowfoot glades.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is uncertain on Sunday
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.
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.