Keep your distance from large looming cornices.
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain on Thursday
Weather Forecast
THURSDAY: Cloudy. Around 10-15 cm snow. Treeline temperature near -5. Light to moderate southerly winds.FRIDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Treeline temperature near -3. Light winds.SATURDAY: Mainly sunny. Treeline temperature near -1. Light winds.
Avalanche Summary
On Tuesday, a few large cornice falls were reported, without releasing large avalanches on slopes below. A few loose wet solar-triggered avalanches were also observed.
Snowpack Summary
Recent storm snow continues to settle and dry out. New wind slabs may build on Thursday lee to the south, at alpine and treeline elevations.Persistent weak layers from early January and mid-December are still being reported by local operators. They are generally considered dormant, but could wake up with forecast warming, a surface avalanche stepping down, a cornice fall, or a human trigger in a shallow or variable-depth snowpack area. These layers consist of sun crust, surface hoar and/or facets. Facets linger at the base of the snowpack.
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.