Strong winds have created touchy slabs near ridge line that are reactive to skiers.
Weather Forecast
Mostly cloudy with trace amounts of precipitation throughout the day. Freezing levels are expected to rise to 1700m this afternoon, with an alpine temperature of -2 and westerly winds gusting to 40km/h. The high pressure holding pattern continues to dominate, at least until early next week.
Snowpack Summary
A bulletproof crust below treeline makes for challenging up-tracks. In open areas, wind has created variable conditions ranging from wind deposited powder, to breakable crust, to boiler plate ice. Pockets of touchy wind slab up to 20cm deep exist near ridge line. Wind slabs overlie a crust on S aspects.
Avalanche Summary
Yesterday, a field team on Ursus Minor observed several whumphs and shooting cracks up to 20m wide and 10-20cm deep in steep wind loaded areas. No new natural avalanches have been observed recently.
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.