Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Feb 7th, 2023 4:30PM
The alpine rating is Wind Slabs and Deep Persistent Slabs.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeFresh wind slabs are touchy in the Alpine and more snow and wind are on the way. Areas at treeline and above will see increased danger levels on Wednesday.
Summary
Confidence
Avalanche Summary
Visibility was somewhat limited, but 2 fresh naturally triggered size 1.5 wind slabs were observed in the Alpine on east aspects immediately below ridgeline in the Burstall Pass area today.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 5cm of new snow fell in the past 24 hours, with lots of wind at upper elevations. Fresh wind slabs are found in the Alpine and open areas at Treeline. Forecasters observed cracking in their skin track today, but ski cutting produced minimal results. Having said that, 2 new naturally triggered wind slabs (size 1.5) were observed in the Alpine on east aspects. It seems that the Alpine has much more sensitive wind slabs, and these will continue to build over the next 24 hours. Snow profile at 2350m today reveals that the bottom 80cm of facets is actually gaining a bit of strength. While this is good, snowpack tests still indicate failures in the facets, and thinner/rockier start zones are still a major concern where the facets will be easier to trigger.
Weather Summary
Wednesday will be overcast with light flurries and highs of -8C. Snowfall amounts are uncertain with models predicting anywhere from 8 to 15+cm over the next 24hrs. Winds will be strong from the SW.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Terrain and Travel Advice
- Avoid shallow, rocky areas where the snowpack transitions from thick to thin.
- Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind affected terrain.
- Be aware of the potential for surprisingly large avalanches due to deeply buried weak layers.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Recent winds and snowfall have created fresh, sensitive wind slabs in the Alpine and open areas at treeline. Some naturally triggered slab avalanches have occurred in the past 24 hours. This problem will continue to worsen if the forecasted snowfall amounts are true.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Deep Persistent Slabs
Thin areas are where this layer will be easiest to trigger. Be thinking about wide propagations as the snowpack above is more cohesive than before.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 8th, 2023 4:00PM