Still praying for snow here but some good skiing can be found in sheltered locations. Isolated windslabs as well as sluffing in very steep or ice climbing terrain require careful consideration especially if you venture into larger terrain features.
Weather Forecast
A westerly flow to the upper atmosphere brings moist air over the region giving way to a colder Arctic front late Tuesday. Tuesday: Flurries and small amounts of new snow. Alp high -5 °C with temps dropping significantly into Wednesday. Ridge winds West: 15-25 km/h. Wednesday isolated flurries, Alp -16 °C to -11 C. Light ridge winds
Snowpack Summary
Exposed areas TL and above have thin pockets of wind slab often found sitting on weak facets and surface hoar. The upper snowpack is facetted and sugary in sheltered areas. A mid snowpack crust is providing most of the strength in the snowpack but has lost most of its strength BTL. Faceting (or weakening) is well underway in the lower snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches observed or reported.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Tuesday
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 Dry
Loose Dry avalanches are the release of dry unconsolidated snow and typically occur within layers of soft snow near the surface of the snowpack. These avalanches start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-dry avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs.