Stability is improving but there are still avalanche problems out there. If you see anything interesting, please submit an observation using our new website tool. For more details see: http://goo.gl/Tj0xPC
Confidence
Fair - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
A ridge of high pressure will persist for several days. On Sunday, expect a mix of sun and cloud, treeline temperatures around -8C, and calm or light winds in the alpine. Monday and Tuesday will be much the same with mostly sunny conditions, treeline temperatures around -10C, and light winds in the alpine.
Avalanche Summary
Initial reports from Saturday suggest that avalanche activity has tapered off since the storm ended and temperatures dropped. Explosive control on Saturday morning at a ski area produced only surface sluffing; no slabs. Widespread natural avalanche activity was reported during the storm on Wednesday and Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
The rain-soaked snow surface has refrozen and created a thick melt-freeze crust up to around 2100 m. A weaker breakable crust is being reported between 2100 and 2400 m. Above this elevation there may still be dry storm snow, which has probably been blasted around by strong southerly winds. In the Golden area a weak layer of surface hoar or facetted snow may be found under the storm snow at higher elevations. The mid pack consists of settled snow, facets, and melt-freeze crusts (primarily lower elevations). The mid-November weak layer (surface hoar, facets, and/or a crust) is buried 60-80 cm deep. Below this you will likely find a thick layer of sugary facets sitting on a solid rain crust from early November. The early November crust/facet layer did become reactive near Golden this week during the storm.
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.