Mondays upslope storm has led to reverse loading creating new wind slabs. Use caution in lee terrain and shallow snowpack areas.
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Mostly Sunny. Light to Moderate West Wind. Freezing Level valley bottomWednesday: Mainly Cloudy. Moderate SW Wind. Alpine temperature inversion.Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud with freezing levels rising to 1400m. .
Snowpack Summary
15-20cm of snow from Monday's upslope storm sits on a variable, wind affected bed surface . A Sun crust is forming on solar aspects. The midpack is strong in deep snowpack areas, but the facets lingering at the bottom remain a concern in thinner areas.
Avalanche Summary
Size 1 loose dry on N -NW aspect at 2000m. No other avalanche activity observed
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain on Thursday
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.