Recently formed wind slabs in Alpine and Treeline elevations are a concern in steep terrain. Look to sheltered locations for better quality skiing.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday will be mainly cloudy with no precipitation expected. Alpine temperatures should reach a high of -10 °C. Winds will be light from the NE. As the week progresses a return to sunny conditions is expected, with no precipitation in the forecast.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing new observed today, but visibility was limited. Yesterday several slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were observed on N and E aspects in steep Alpine terrain between 2400 and 2600m. These slabs were 10 to 20cm thick and generally did not run far.
Snowpack Summary
Trace to 3cm of new snow overnight has done little to change the character of the snowpack. Wind slabs are found in lee and cross-loaded terrain in the Alpine and Treeline elevation bands. These slabs were observed to be cracking with skier traffic yesterday and several naturally triggered avalanches have occurred over the past 48hrs. The persistent weak layer from Dec 4th is buried between 30 and 60cm at Treeline and below, but has not been reactive for some time.
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.