Watch for wind slabs in exposed areas and south-facing slopes that are being impacted by the sun.
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY NIGHT: Flurries possible. No significant accumulation expected.WEDNESDAY: Dry with a mix of sun and cloud. Freezing level around 1000 m. Winds light northwesterly.THURSDAY: Light snow - 2-4 cm. Freezing level around 1000 m. Winds light southwesterly.FRIDAY: Dry with a mix of sun and cloud. Freezing level rising to around 1500 m. Winds light southerly.
Avalanche Summary
Avalanche activity over the weekend was limited to small slab and loose avalanches in the top 20 cm of snow (size 1). Looking ahead, the most likely problem will be fresh storm slabs. However the lingering persistent weak layer in the North Shore Mountains still poses a low likelihood - high consequence problem.
Snowpack Summary
Relatively light amounts of moist snow have fallen on a variety of snow surfaces including a crust on steep southerly slopes and possibly weak surface hoar crystals on sheltered and shaded slopes. The new snow may take a little time to bond, especially on northerly aspects at higher elevations.A layer of weak and sugary faceted grains sits on a melt-freeze crust about 50 to 120 cm deep. The layer is likely most prominent in the North Shore Mountains and on north aspects. This layer continues to be reactive in snowpack tests. The problem is not typical for the region and we expect this persistent weak layer to continue to linger.The lower snowpack is generally strong.
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.