New snow and strong winds forecast to arrive overnight on Friday evening. Watch for decreasing stability.
Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Saturday
Weather Forecast
The storm that was forecast to arrive on Friday afternoon has now been pushed back to Friday night. We expect snow to begin falling around 19:00 and continue into the morning with total accumulations of 15-20cm. Winds will be STRONG out of the SW so new slabs will be quick to develop.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were observed but conditions were obscured throughout the day. Likely there was loose dry sluffs up to sz 1 from steep unskiable terrain throughout the day.
Snowpack Summary
5cm new snow overnight in the core areas of the forecast area with strong westerly winds. Touchy slabs building in Alpine terrain and in steep unsupported area at treeline. Watch for pockets of unstable snow along ridge crests, along moraines, and in gullied terrain features, especially along lee aspects.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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 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.