Pockets of wind slab exist in the Alpine and have been sensitive to human triggering.Rugged travel conditions exist below tree line with the nightly refreeze.Cold dry snow exists on high Northerly aspects.
Weather Forecast
Mainly cloudy today with a few sunny periods and a chance of isolated flurries later this afternoon. The alpine high will reach +1 as the freezing level rises to 2200m and the winds blow lightly from the SE. Tonight will see 5-10cm of snow. Snow is forecasted to continue on Sunday and persist into next week with 20cm of accumulation by Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
10cm of recent snow accompanied by 25-40km/hr Southerly winds formed wind slabs at Tree-line and Alpine elevations. The recent snow buries a melt freeze crust on all aspects to tree line. Below the crust, the snowpack is isothermal in thin snowpack areas BTL. The mid and lower snowpack is strong at Tree-line and above where depths are over 2m.
Avalanche Summary
A size 1.5 skier accidental was reported from Cheops North 4. Crown depth was 10-20cm, 10m wide and ran for 700m stopping at the top of the fan, no involvement. Several other size 1-1.5 natural avalanches (wind slabs) were also observed in the area. MacDonald Gully #12 produced a natural size 2 early yesterday morning and ran 3/4 down the fan.
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 Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.