A strong inversion is building, so be aware that avalanche start zones will be heating up while you're cold in the valley.
Weather Forecast
A strong ridge has established itself over the region. We should see no precipitation over the next few days and a strong inversion develop, with the alpine being 3-5*C warmer than valley bottoms. Winds will be light from the N/NW.
Snowpack Summary
Yesterday's dusting hides a sun crust on steep south and west aspects, and a hard windslab in almost all alpine and tree-line areas. The mid-pack is well settled. The Nov surface hoar, down 180cm, has spotty distribution. The basal layers are generally facetted and weaker than the rest of the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
Several loose surface sluffing to size 1.0 were observed from steeper (>35 degree) slopes on all aspects in the Fidelity area. Along the highway corridor, thin soft slabs to size 2 were noted from steep, N and S-facing, rocky start zones.
Confidence
The weather pattern is stable
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.
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.
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.