Ice climbers need to consider that gully features will be loading from the turbulent winds. Skiers need to evaluate the consequence of their line should a windslab kick them of their feet.
Weather Forecast
Snowfalls in the 10cm range will continue through Wednesday night when temperatures will cool leading into a colder day with occational sunny periods on Thursday. The weather will then return to light snow flurries through the weekend. Winds are expected to continue from the Southwest with strong gusts coming from various directions.
Snowpack Summary
Strong, turbulent winds continue to add to the variable snow distribution at treeline and above. Wind slabs are developing in lee terrain features. These windslabs sit above the October 27 raincrust with weak basal facets at the bottom of the snowpack.
Avalanche Summary
A size 2 slab was remotely triggered from below by a skier in the Bald hills on Sunday. This occurred on a Northeast aspect in the lower alpine. No other avalanches have been reported today.
Confidence
Wind effect is extremely variable
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.