Conditions may be variable across the region.
Confidence
Fair - Due to the number of field observations
Weather Forecast
Expect mainly light snowfall (about 5-10 cm a day) from Monday to Wednesday, accompanied by moderate to strong W to SW winds. Freezing levels are expected to fall to valley floor by Tuesday.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported.
Snowpack Summary
Storm snow has built up above variable old surfaces including large fragile surface hoar crystals, a crust and/or facets. Winds may have built wind slabs and cornices on lee slopes. A thick rain crust with facets from early November is buried over 1 m down and may still be reactive in isolated areas.
Problems
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.
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.