New snow and strong winds will increase the hazard on Saturday. Ski quality is very slowly improving, but the ice is getting fatter by the day!
Weather Forecast
Friday remains cold with isolated flurries and the winds picking up to moderate from the west. On Saturday a low pressure system is moving in depositing 10cm of new snow with strong westerly winds and freezing levels rising to 1400m. This system will move out by Sunday with colder temperatures and light northerly winds.
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack remains variable with depths ranging from 20 to 160cm along the divide. 10cm of facetted snow sits on a variety of wind affected surfaces including wind slabs from the previous storm. The middle of the snowpack appears to be gaining strength in deeper areas, though thin areas remain weak.
Avalanche Summary
Isolated loose dry avalanches to size 1 were observed in steep rocky terrain in the Cameron Lake area.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Saturday
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.
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.