It's winter! This means its time to carry your avalanche safety gear and choose terrain wisely. We are reluctant to use hazard ratings due to our very limited field observations, but the current avalanche problems deserve attention.
Weather Forecast
A mix of sun and cloud is expected for Saturday with cool temperatures and light SW winds. Sunday will be similar, but with scattered light flurries.
Avalanche Summary
Nothing noted, but visibility was very limited.
Snowpack Summary
Prior to this current storm, we had 10-20cm of wind blown snow that began to fill gullies and alpine bowls. This most recent snow now sits on either bare ground, or these previously wind deposited gully and bowl features. Recent winds have been mostly from the north, expect freshly formed wind slabs on SE to SW aspects. Snow depths at 2200m range from 30 to 60cm. Sheltered areas and confined gullies are capable of loose dry sluffs in steep 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.