Watch for wind slabs on southerly aspects
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY: Dry and sunny. Wind northeasterly 20-50 km/h. Temperature around -6C.WEDNESDAY: A mix of sun and cloud. Wind easterly 20-50 km/h. Temperature around -1C.THURSDAY: A mix of sun and cloud. Wind light west. Temperature around -1C.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed.
Snowpack Summary
Right now, the most important part of the snowpack analysis is figuring out how the wind is redistributing snow into wind slabs. New wind slabs are most likely to be found on south to east aspects behind exposed terrain features, and could be touchy, especially on steep unsupported terrain. The previous metre or so of storm snow has bonded well to the underlying snow. A thin freezing rain crust buried under 10 cm of new snow was reported from the North Shore mountains, but I suspect the only impact this will have will be on skiing quality. Wind slabs aside, the snowpack is otherwise considered to be well settled and stable.
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.