The storm slab remains reactive at all elevations. Rising temperatures and solar heating will increase hazard.
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy today with scattered flurries and no significant precip. The alpine high should be -8*C with 20 km/h southwesterly winds, gusting to 55km/h. Freezing level is forecast to reach 1000m today. Monday/Tuesday a warming trend is forecast for the area with freezing levels possibly reaching above 2000m.
Snowpack Summary
55cm of storm snow and strong S winds have formed reactive storm slabs at treeline & above. On solar aspects this slab buries a suncrust that was showing sudden planer results in snowpack tests before the storm. The storm snow will need time to settle & bond to old snow surfaces. Underneath, the mid & lwr snowpack are unusually weak and facetted
Avalanche Summary
Thursday's storm triggered a massive natural avalanche cycle with avalanches to sz 3.5, most running the full extent of their paths to valley bottom. In Connaught sz 3's were reported from Mt Cheops & Frequent Flyer path ran across the normal uptrack! Artillery controlled avalanches to sz 4 and yesterday fresh naturals to sz 3 were observed again.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.
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.