Watch for new windslabs as you approach or enter lee areas near ridgecrests. Watch for loose snow in gully features.
Weather Forecast
Forecasted precipitation beginning Saturday with accumulation values ranging from 15-20cm by Monday. Winds will be moderate to strong from the south west, expect snow transport and windslab development.
Snowpack Summary
20-50cm of snow sits over the december 15 surface hoar layer which is beginning to develop some slab properties. Below this the snowpack is heavily faceted with remnants of older crusts still lingering throughout. In many areas loose faceted surface snow continues to be the main instability in the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were noted today.
Problems
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.
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.