Watch for new windslab development from the Yoho Blow and overnight SW wind. Surface failures may be enough to trigger the Dec 15 layer lower down.
Weather Forecast
Another cold day tomorrow with moderate to strong SW wind overnight. Winds should taper through the day Thursday then pick up again Friday as the high pressure ridge starts to rebuild over area. Temperatures warmer by the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
40-50 cm of snow sits over the Dec 15 layer which consists of surface hoar, sun crust, or facets depending on location. Easy - mod shears found on this layer. Below this the snowpack is heavily faceted with remnants of older crust's still lingering throughout, but no significant shears found in the lower pack. Some isolated windslabs near ridgetop.
Avalanche Summary
A few new loose snow avalanches were observed to size 2 near the Mt. Dennis Ice Climbs. A size 2.5 observed off Mt. Stephen, likely a windslab resulting from the strong Yoho Blow outflow wind, but the fracture line was obscured.
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.
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.