Watch for loading in lee features as moderate SW winds and light snowfall continues.
Weather Forecast
Snow flurries throughout the day with moderate south westerly winds and freezing levels remaining below 700m. An approaching low pressure system will bring light snow to the area on Sunday with up to 15cm of accumulation.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 20cm of new snow with SW winds is loading lee features. 80-100cm of settled snow covers the Dec 2 interface, which is surface hoar below tree-line and a sun crust on steep, solar features at treeline and alpine. In exposed areas, the depth is variable due to wind-scouring. Below 1600m, 40cm sits over a supportive crust.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche observations yesterday. Received reports of skiers remote triggering small soft slab avalanches in the Connaught Creek drainage within the top 20cm of new snow.
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.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.