Confidence
Fair - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain
Weather Forecast
Sunday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of light flurries and temperatures reaching -5. Winds should be light southwesterlies with occasional gusts to 40km/h.Monday: A mix of sun and cloud, with precipitation building through the afternoon into the evening. Temperatures should reach -8 with light west/southwest winds.Tuesday: Expect continued light snowfalls under light southwest winds with temperatures reaching -8.
Avalanche Summary
Small windslabs up to size 1.5 have been reported, failing in immediate lee locations of ridgelines. Sluffing up to size 1.0 continues.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 10cm of light density new snow overlies the January 4th interface. Moderate and strong south/southwest winds have redistributed this new snow into small windslabs in immediate lee features in the alpine and exposed treeline and these windslabs are reactive to human triggering.The January 4th interface consists predominantly of loose facets up to 30cm deep. In isolated locations (sheltered treeline and below treeline) surface hoar is present and there is a sun crust on steep south and west facing terrain. High in the alpine in exposed locations, old windslabs linger.The midpack is well bonded and strong. The deep crust/facet combo from early November still exists and concern remains (although unlikely) for triggering this layer from a shallow spot.
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.