Pockets of lingering wind slabs can still be found on high northerly aspects where the snow has remained dry and cold.
Weather Forecast
TONIGHT: Flurries. Accumulation 3-8 cm. Ridge wind light, northwest. Alpine Temperature near -5. Freezing level 800 m.FRIDAY: Cloudy, light flurries. Accumulation up to 2 cm. Ridge wind light, southwest. Alpine Temperature near -5. Freezing level 1600 m.SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. Ridge wind light, northeast. Alpine Temperature near -6. Freezing level 1500 m.SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy, light flurries. Accumulation 2-4 cm. Ridge wind light, northwest. Alpine Temperature near -5. Freezing level 1500 m.
Avalanche Summary
A natural avalanche cycle to size 3.5 occurred over past several days. These avalanches were primarily wet loose avalanches on sunny aspects; however, some slab releases did step down to deeper weak layers (with 50-70 cm crowns) on west and southerly aspects. Wednesday there was a report of a skier triggered size 1 wind slab on a north aspect at 2000 m.On Tuesday there were few reports of skier triggered wind slab avalanches to size 1.5 on northerly aspects in the alpine. There was also a report of natural size 3 cornice failure on a northwest aspect in the alpine that triggered the most recent storm snow.
Snowpack Summary
A light dusting of new snow now covers a crust on all but high elevation north and east facing slopes where cold, dry snow sits above a well settled snowpack. Deeper persistent weak layers from January and December are generally considered dormant, but could wake up with a surface avalanche stepping down, cornice fall, or a human trigger in a shallow or variable-depth snowpack area. These layers consist of sun crust, surface hoar and/or facets.
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.