The ski quality has improving as the "cold snap" continues. Watch for variable distribution of the recent storm snow. We are seeing amounts vary from drainage to drainage. The hazard will directly relate to the localized snow amounts.
Weather Forecast
Snow tapering overnight tonight. We might see a few cm's yet, but nothing too significant. The overnight low will hit -22 at 2500m. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a few clouds. A high of -15 in the alpine. Winds will be moderate at treeline and lighter below.
Avalanche Summary
Some older loose dry were noted today, but they were all small.
Snowpack Summary
As of this afternoon the storm has left the Spray with 7cm's of new snow. At valley bottom this has done little to change the snowpack. The crust is now down 5-10cm's. At treeline the new snow has worked with the cold temps to create pretty good skiing on polar aspects. The storm snow sits on a 20cm thick layer of facetted snow that was formally soft windslab. In immediate lee areas the storm snow has formed thin storm slabs. At the moment they are of no concern, but if more snow comes they may become an issue. The alpine has seen significant wind transport with the new snow. Stormslabs will be more widespread and potentially reactive as the loading continues.
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.
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.