A few cm of snow is forecast to fall over the next few days but the damage is done by the winds. Watch for hard windslabs in open terrain. Ask Santa for more snow... especially below treeline.
Confidence
Moderate - Due to the number of field observations on Thursday
Weather Forecast
Winds are expected to begin to back off tomorrow and we may see a weak pulse of snow move into the region over the next few days. 10-15cm is forecast by Christmas eve.
Avalanche Summary
No new natural avalanches were observed on Thursday.
Snowpack Summary
Not much is changing out there at this time. Our main concern at this time is the widespread hard slabs that should be expected in alpine areas. These slabs are up to 50cm thick in some areas and are quite stiff so they have the ability to propagate across a terrain features such as a bowl or gully. The areas where you may be able to trigger the weak underlying facets will be important to be aware of. Avoid thin snowpack areas especially in steep or unsupported terrain. Sheltered areas are the place to be but the problem is the snowpack below 2000m is still quite thin, or weak and facetted. Happy hunting.
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.