40cm of snow has fallen over the past 24hrs with warm temps and light winds. This new snow is rapidly settling into a storm slab that is overlying a widespread crust. Use caution and watch for concerns with daytime warming decreasing stability.
Confidence
Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Friday
Weather Forecast
A few additional cm of new snow may fall over the next 24hrs. Winds are forecast to be calm but this will be a critical weather factor to play close attention to over the next 24hrs. Lots of snow is available for transport. Skies will be a mix of sun and cloud but its important to remember, when the sun does come out, stability can rapidly deteriorate so keep an eye on the sky...
Avalanche Summary
Extensive sluffing up to size 1.5 on all aspects.
Snowpack Summary
A new crust layer is now prevalent within the snowpack. The recent storm snow is now overlying the 0403 melt freeze crust (down 40) that can be found on all aspects except true north up to 2100m and on solar aspects up to 3000. The new snow was sluffing easily on this crust entraining significant mass as it traveled. The 0229 melt freeze crust was found down 80cm today at treeline areas. Easy sheers were being noted within the storm snow and at the 0403 interface. Moist snow was being encountered by 13:00 on all aspects except true north. This warm temps was settling the recent snow into a soft slab that will only become more reactive with time. Reports of large whumpfs near the Haig glacier.
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.
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.
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.