Be aware of the potential for an above freezing layer on Thursday. This warm air (combined with solar warming) may destabilize the surface snow and cornices.
Weather Forecast
Thursday: Expect lots of valley cloud with temperatures reaching -5, moderate southwesterly winds and a chance of isolated flurries. An above freezing layer may persist giving temperatures up to 3 between 2000-2500m.Friday: Mostly cloudy with temperatures around -9. Winds turn northerly, and remain moderate. No precipitation.Saturday: Continued cloudy with temperatures reaching -5 under light southerly winds. Building flurries are possible.
Avalanche Summary
Recent avalanche activity in the region has been limited to small loose snow avalanches running in steep terrain. This has been more prominent on sunny slopes as the radiation penetrates the snow surface. Glide cracks continue to open.
Snowpack Summary
Minor surface hoar growth continues in areas that are sheltered from the wind. Surface facetting is loosening the upper layers, allowing for a slight increase in sluffing. Recent small surface hoar is buried beneath a thin layer of cold dry snow. Wind slabs continue to develop due to the availability of loose snow for transport. Deeper weak layers have not been reactive.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.