The Winter Permit System comes into effect tomorrow, Monday November 23. A winter permit is required to enter winter restricted ares.
Weather Forecast
A temperature inversion has set up this morning with cool air in the valley bottom and temperatures approaching zero at ridge top. Skies will clear later this morning as strong to extreme westerly winds push in ahead of an incoming weather system. Moderate snowfall amounts are forecasted for early Monday morning with 15cm by Tuesday.
Snowpack Summary
Recent observations suggest that the ~1m of storm snow is settling and bonding. S-SW winds at treeline and above continue to load lee features, forming deep loaded pockets. Surface hoar layers down ~1m and 1.5m are still a concern but becoming more stubborn and hard to find. On high elevation N/NE aspects, there is a weak facetted base.
Avalanche Summary
No new activity observed.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
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.
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.