Up to 5cm of new snow overnight with winds spiking at 125km/h out of the West. Watch for fresh wind slabs in lee and cross-loaded features, and be aware of the potential for higher danger levels if more snow arrives than is forecasted.
Confidence
Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
Winds will spike at 125km/h out of the west overnight. As much as 5cm of snow is expected by Wednesday morning with temperatures cooling to -15 degrees.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing new.
Snowpack Summary
Trace amount of snow overnight. 0 to 20cm of relatively low density snow sits on a very hard wind slab. A hard compression test was observed which failed beneath the dense wind slab. Snowpack at lower elevations is weak and facetted.
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.