Despite the strong feel to the upper snowpack, the threat of large avalanches remains a concern. Please continue to play safe.
Weather Forecast
Gradual cooling trend through the weekend. Light precipitation is expected tonight with accumulated amounts of 5cm by Sunday.
Snowpack Summary
Wind slab continues to be a problem at higher elevations. Sustained strong winds Thursday have stripped exposed slopes, adding more load to lees. A supportive upper snowpack overlies surface hoar, crusts, and facets. The depth of these layers varies from 75cm to 150cm. The persistent problem has been producing large avalanches over the past week.
Avalanche Summary
No new natural avalanches activity observed Friday. Reports of small skier triggered wind slabs, isolated to ridge crest were noted by ski patrol.
Problems
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.
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.