Conditions are great out there. The snowpack is strengthening, and the new snow is light and fluffy. Danger is decreasing, but still keep your head up. Watch for sluffing and be cautious where the snow is wind affected.
Weather Forecast
Expect a cool and cloudy day, with a few flurries and moderate winds at ridgetop. Alpine temps are forecast to be -15 and -8 at treeline. By tomorrow morning we should receive another 5cm of new snow, with continued flurries through Christmas day.
Snowpack Summary
45cm of low density new snow over the past 5 days sits on 1m of settled storm snow from last week. Recent tests continue to indicate that the Dec and Nov surface hoar layers are becoming unreactive, and generally the snowpack is strong. Periods of moderate winds from various directions have created pockets of soft wind slab in the alpine.
Avalanche Summary
No new natural avalanches were observed in the Park yesterday. Recent avalanches have been triggered when the winds pick up, loading steep lee features.
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.