Lots of snow is currently available for transport at treeline elevations and above. Pay close attention to winds as skier triggerable slabs will be quick to develop as winds increase. Good skiing being found in sheltered areas.
Confidence
Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Tuesday
Weather Forecast
Light precip is forecast to continue under the influence of a light to moderate SW flow. Convective flurries may give locally moderate precip in some areas so pay close attention. Temperatures are expected to remain seasonal. Pay close attention to winds as our forecast models are in conflict with one model calling for light winds and another calling for strong winds. Lots of snow is currently available for transport so if winds do increase, stability will be quick to decrease.
Avalanche Summary
A few loose dry avalanches for steeper unskiable terrain up to size 2. Skies were obscured most of the day and forecasters had limited opportunities to get a good look up and into Alpine areas.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 35cm of recent snowfall over the past 48hrs. This snow has fallen with little to no wind affect except for at higher elevations (above 2500m). Pockets of storm slabs up to 30cm thick are being encountered along ridgelines and in cross-loaded features but these slabs do not appear to extend far downslope. Easy sheers persist within the storm snow down 30-40cm. The Nov crust is now down 100cm and hard sheers persist in a facet layer below the crust. Lots of snow is currently available for transport and storm slabs will be quick to build with the influx of moderate winds.
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.
Loose Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.
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.