Variable winds that were strong and gusty have provided new windslabs to navigate around while stripping much of the fun out of exposed alpine features.
Weather Forecast
An additional 5-10cm of snow is forecast overnight, with light northerly winds and seasonal temperatures. Tomorrow will be dry and cool as arctic air pushes into the eastern side of the rockies. On Friday flurries will return with a slight increase in temperatures and this should continue through the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
5-10cm of new snow redistributed by variable winds that were strong tapering to light today. New wind slabs overlie a settled upper snowpack which is sitting on the persistent weak layers in the mid snowpack. Widespread avalanche activity on these weak layers followed last week's storm, slopes without avalanches are suspect.
Avalanche Summary
Isolated slab avalanches (likely failing on a persistent mid snowpack weakness, and up to size 2) were observed by field teams at treeline elevations on Tuesday - likely triggered by the significant wind transport and warmer temperatures.
Confidence
Wind effect is extremely variable
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.