An incoming weather system will create new avalanche problems for the weekend. Watch for increasing hazard with new snow and strong winds.
Weather Forecast
Winter weather is back. Mainly cloudy today with flurries and up to 4cm of accumulation. Freezing levels rise to 200m this afternoon with SW winds gusting to 55km/hr. A cold front arrives tonight with dropping freezing levels, 14cm of new snow and strong SW winds. Scattered flurries and cold temperatures persist for the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
Melt freeze cycle below 2500m is formed a strong, 20cm thick crust. In the top meter of the snowpack there are multiple crusts that are reactive to tests but would likely need a large trigger. On Wednesday, dry facetted snow was found on northerly and shaded aspects above 1900m. Surface hoar on shaded aspects will get buried this weekend.
Avalanche Summary
The daytime heat triggered 2 natural cornice avalanches that pulled out slabs on the slope below. On the North face of Mt Bonney and Mt Clarke, a cornice triggered a size 3.0 avalanche that failed on glacier ice. Glide crack avalanches continue to be observed below treeline up to size 2.5.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Problems
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.