Light snowfalls are expected throughout the weekend. The latest snowpack report is also now up on facebook http://ow.ly/98U5W.
Confidence
Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Saturday
Weather Forecast
Light snowfalls are expected throughout the weekend period as the ridge of high pressure that was over us on Friday begins to move eastwards. Total snowfall amounts are likely to only be 2-4cm throughout the day on Saturday. Winds are forecast to increase into the moderate range out of the SW.
Avalanche Summary
Loose dry sluffing up to size 1 with skier traffic in steeper terrain. Evidence of a Skier accidental size 1 at 2800m on an NE aspect on Tent Ridge. Slide was 10m wide, 30cm deep and ran 30m. The slide occurred just below ridgeline in one of the large crossloaded bowls.
Snowpack Summary
0213 Surface hoar/Crust layer down 10-15cm depending on aspect and elevation. Isolated wind slabs being encountered in alpine terrain in the immediate lees of ridgelines. These slabs are most apparent on N and E aspects. Midpack well settled. Basal FC and DH still in our thoguhts especially in bigger terrain features. Still potential to trigger these weaknesses from thin or shallow snowpack areas, especially in steeper terrain.
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.
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.