While hard crusts have allowed for interesting travel in the last few days, travel on steep slopes has been tough with out ski crampons or even an ice axe and crampons. Watch forecasts closely for Thursday and the weekend: Pineapple headed our way.
Weather Forecast
Not much change can be expected Tuesday or Wednesday with continued flurries and freezing levels below 1600m. Thursday however, a fairly powerful low reaches the coast straight from Hawaii... freezing levels are expected to approach 2000m with heavy precip and strong winds. Hopefully the arctic air on the prairies pushes back to keep temps low.
Snowpack Summary
West winds have created new windslabs above the Jan 31 crusts that extend nearly every where except on shaded aspects above 2300m. Above 2000m on the shaded aspects concern for the Dec facets and crust layer remains with technicians still finding sudden shears down 40 to 80cm. Hard crusts are the dominant travel condition: bring your ski crampons!
Avalanche Summary
Technicians traveling near the divide today found new windslabs above the hard crust to be sensitive to ski cutting. Otherwise, no activity has been seen in the last few days since the snow refroze after last week's warm up.
Confidence
Timing, track, or intensity of incoming weather system is 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.
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.
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.