Natural avalanche activity appears to be tapering off, but there is still a high degree of spatial variability and low confidence in the stability of the snowpack.
Weather Forecast
No new precipitation on the horizon. Mild temperatures with calm to light Northerly winds. Sunny and clear.
Snowpack Summary
Last week's 20-30cm of rapidly settling and wind distributed storm snow overlies facets and basal weakness. New reactive windslabs in lee gully features and especially on NE aspects. Extensive scouring of last weeks snowfall at and above treeline.
Avalanche Summary
One new size 2.5 slab avalanche out of a steep rock slab at 2300m, East aspect. May have been triggered by cornice fall.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
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.
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.