Hazard ratings may change at a moment's notice if the winds pick up. Consider alpine and treeline ratings to be at their upper limits right now. Choosing a safe line still requires some assessment and monitoring of changing conditions.
Weather Forecast
The flurries that we experienced today are expected to come to an end overnight. There may be a few more cm's accumulation, but nothing too significant. Alpine and ridge top winds will pick up tonight, topping out at 30-50km/hr from the SW. The alpine temperatures will be around -8 as a high.
Avalanche Summary
No avalanches were seen today
Snowpack Summary
15-20cm's of new, low density snow at treeline. The underlying crust is still apparent at all elevations. In most places the crust is breakable despite the new snow. Treeline and below has no significant avalanche concerns at the moment. The warm spell locked the snow in place with the crust. At treeline the picture starts to change. The treeline/alpine transition is a bit more complex. The moderate winds have created soft slabs on all lee aspects. So far the slabs don't extend too far below ridge lines and open areas at treeline where the winds could penetrate the trees. The bond with the underlying layers seems to be hit and miss. Any slab that is on the crust seems to be bonding reasonably well and anything on an old hardslab is slower to come around. Snow depth at treeline averages 160cm's.
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.