High winds continue to rake the alpine from the west making travel feel more like winter. Heads up for windslabs on lee features.
Weather Forecast
Mix of sun and cloud Friday with a chance of showers in the afternoon. Moderate winds from the west will make it feel cooler. Stronger winds in the alpine to 50km. Clearing for the weekend and back to seasonal norms.
Snowpack Summary
Strong Southwesterly winds have created pockets of windslab and obliterated exposed areas at upper elevations. Weak basal facets are bridged by a strong mid-pack in most areas at treeline and above.
Avalanche Summary
Natural cornice failures continue and many more are waiting their turn to fall.
Confidence
The weather pattern is stable on Saturday
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.