A noticeable hiatus in the Spring transition is giving plenty of opportunity to get good riding on dry snow. Persistent instabilities will persist for the remainder of the season...Don't, don't, don't, don't! Don't you, forget about me!
Weather Forecast
"La Nina" spring continuing (cool and moist). Next 24hrs expect continued broken skies, no significant precip and alpine temperatures to reach a high of -8°C. Light winds through the region.
Snowpack Summary
A variety of slab conditions exist on most aspects at treeline and above. 10-20cm of recent storm snow has created a settled new wind slab. This slab can be up to 30cm thick . Below this, older slabs up to 60cm thick sit on a sun-crust on solar aspects and facets on polar aspects. Below treeline the snow is shallow.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches reported or observed. Field team reported finding signs of lingering instability at TL; whumphing and cracking but could not get anything to initiate into a slide.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
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.