The current weather has us in a bit of a holding pattern, and persistent avalanche problems will be slow to heal. Evaluate the snowpack carefully before committing to any large terrain features.
Weather Forecast
The ridge of High pressure we have been enjoying should persist through the forecast period. Skies will remain mostly clear, ridgetop temperatures will fluctuate daily between -6 and -12. Almost perfect, except the calm winds we have been enjoying will transition to moderate Westerlies Friday into Saturday.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 5cm of settling new snow overlies: previous wind affected snow, old storm snow in sheltered areas, and a breakable melt-freeze crust below 1900m on solar aspects (1700m non-solar). Faceted layers in the mid and lower snowpack remain a concern, particularly in shallow areas where facetting is more pronounced and triggering is more likely.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity has been observed or reported.
Problems
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.
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.