Continuous flurries are keeping the hazard consistent these days. That trend will continue for awhile yet. Many large slopes have not yet avalanched this season and appear very fat. Treat big terrain with caution-especially if it hasn't avalanched.
Weather Forecast
Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries tomorrow. The alpine high will be -8 with a 1300m freezing level. Winds will out of the NW and average 40km/hr.
Avalanche Summary
One notable avalanche was seen today. It was a healthy sz2.5 on a north east aspect, alpine feature in the northern part of the forecast region. It was immediately below a large headwall and was at 2400m. The deposit wasn't visible, so the size is an estimate. If it stepped it may be a sz3.
Snowpack Summary
Ongoing convective flurries continue to add the the snowpack daily. At treeline, we now have 20-30cm of recent snow on top of the March 8th layer. This interface is slow to improve, but so far the slab density above it is soft and only a concern in the upper reaches of the treeline zone. The Feb 11th layer is down 40cm and the Feb 27th is down 50-60cm. In all cases the bond is healing, but still something to watch. 2150m seems to be the magic number when it comes to the crusts disappearing. South aspects may vary depending on angle. Interestingly, the Jan 6th layer appears to be getting worse as the surface snow settles and gains some density. At treeline we are finding that layer to be down about 1m and reacting in tests. The alpine is currently going through another windloading event. Slabs from transport and settlement were noted today in any open terrain. The soft slabs are dense enough to propagate in the right terrain (steep & convex).
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.