Pockets of hard windslabs are common in alpine and treeline areas. Avoid gullies and immediate lee. Great ice climbing conditions!!!
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the quality of field observations
Weather Forecast
Not much change these days. Temps will be in the -5C range in alpine areas, we may see a few cm of snow overnight and winds will be light to moderate out of the SW at treeline.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity seen or observed.
Snowpack Summary
40-50cm of snow is overlying the October crust at TL elevations. No significant sheers were noted within the snowpack. Lens of hard slabs in alpine areas that are overlying the weak facetted base are the main concern at this time. Thin weak spots are good triggers for these hard slabs so be mindful of that. Ice climbing conditions are great while skiing.... no so great.
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.