Confidence
Fair - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Monday
Weather Forecast
Monday: Light snow (5-10 cm). Moderate W to NW winds. Alpine temperature near -9.Tuesday: No snow. Light W winds. Alpine temperature near -6.Wednesday: Light snow. Light to moderate SW winds. Alpine temperature near -4.
Avalanche Summary
Observations were limited during Sunday's storm, but it's suspected that some natural activity occurred in response to rapid snow loading.
Snowpack Summary
20-30 cm snowfall on Sunday landed on a crust above about 2000 m, or moist snow at lower elevations. Ridge top winds have been from SW and NW directions, creating wind slabs on a variety of lee and cross-loaded slopes. Deeper in the snowpack, a series of crust layers makes up the upper snowpack. The mid-pack is reported to be generally well-settled. Cornices are large and fragile in some areas.
Problems
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.
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.