Danger ratings are coming down, but human triggered avalanches remain possible, especially on the steeper more complex lines.
Weather Forecast
We are heading into a short dry spell for Christmas, but the good news is we are not expecting much wind and we should see clearing skies Friday and Saturday. THURSDAY: 0 to 5cm of snow, freezing level at valley bottom, light SW winds. FRIDAY: No snow expected, freezing level at valley bottom, light west winds. SATURDAY: No new snow, freezing level at valley bottom, moderate W/SW winds.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches to report from Tuesday. On Sunday and Monday a few naturally triggered size 1 to 2.5 storm slabs and numerous loose dry avalanches were reported.
Snowpack Summary
The series of recent storms has left us with around 50-80 cm new snow. Strong to extreme SW winds in specific areas in the south of the region on Sunday created wind slabs at all elevations. These may now be buried by subsequent snowfall, making them hard to spot. Cornices exist on many ridge crests. Recent storm snow overlies a hard rain crust. This strong, thick crust seems to be effectively isolating the lower snowpack.
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.