Confidence
Fair - Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Tuesday
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Moderate to strong SE winds. Alpine temp -8. Light snow.Wednesday: Light SW winds. Alpine temp -8. A few cm snow.Thursday: Light SW winds. Alpine temp -7. No precipitation.
Avalanche Summary
On Sunday, several size 1-1.5 wind slabs were triggered by explosives and skiers. One size 2 slab was triggered in a steep high alpine start zone.
Snowpack Summary
Over a metre of snow has fallen this week with strong SE winds, which has created wind slabs in alpine and open treeline terrain. New cornices exist. In sheltered areas below treeline, very deep loose snow has built up. Three surface hoar layers in the upper/mid snowpack appear to be gaining strength. In general, the mid-pack is strong.Near the base of the snowpack, a crust/facet layer has become unlikely to be triggered. However, professionals are still mindful of thin snowpack trigger areas or large loads which could wake it up again, leading to a very large avalanche.
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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.