Snow is in the forecast for the area! Depending on the amounts of snow & wind the hazard may spike. Conditions may change rapidly. MM
Confidence
Fair - Intensity of incoming weather is uncertain on Thursday
Weather Forecast
Low pressure bringing light, but steady snow to the area starting Wed night. Amounts are expected to be up to 20cm in the next 24hrs. Winds will vary from light at valley bottom to strong in the alpine.
Avalanche Summary
Natural trigger, slab, E aspect, 2300m, sz2 Icefall trigger, slab, E aspect, 2000m, sz1 Small pocket pulled out below ice, the ice continued to slide down the entire slope (200m), entraining snow as it went, but no slope failure. Very large ice chunks, up to 4 cubic meters total.
Snowpack Summary
continued wind building wind slabs at TL and above. Significant wind transport today. Midpack generally well settled, but surface facetting continues with strong TG. Nov crust down 80-100 at TL and is starting to break down at TL elevations.
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.
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.