Weather Forecast
Flurries will continue to Wednesday with potentially total accumulations of 9mm of precipitation. Not a game changer. Alpine winds will blow Westerly at 75km/hr but 25km/hr at 1500m. Freezing level will be 1300m by Tuesday afternoon with a downward temperature trend of a few degrees colder every day after that. Alpine temperatures -7 to -11.
Snowpack Summary
A trace to 10cm locally at Big Bend covers the previous hard wind slab in exposed alpine and treeline features. Lower elevations are generally faceted and poor travel. Thin wind slabs will continue to form in immediate lee features with moderate to strong Westerly wind transport especially with this new snow and a little bit more expected.
Avalanche Summary
Significant slab avalanche activity has not been noted for sometime. The trend appears to be an increased potential for cornice failures, low to mid elevation solar releases, and increased activity on South aspects related to when the sun impacts the terrain.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain on Tuesday
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.