Shady slopes offer the best snow, but watch out for wind slabs that may have formed at higher elevations.
Confidence
High - The weather pattern is stable
Weather Forecast
MONDAY: Clear skies, light to moderate southwesterly winds, freezing level around 3700 m with inversion conditions.TUESDAY: Partly cloudy, light to moderate southwesterly winds, freezing level around 2300 m with inversion conditions.WEDNESDAY: Mostly clear skies, light southwesterly winds, freezing level rising to 3400 m with inversion conditions.
Avalanche Summary
A small natural wind slab avalanche was noted on Saturday in steep alpine terrain on a northerly aspect. No new avalanches were observed on Thursday or Friday. Numerous small to large loose wet avalanches up to size 2 were observed on solar aspects on Wednesday.
Snowpack Summary
Warm air temperatures and clear skies have created surface crusts on south-facing slopes at higher elevations. The crusts may break down over the day with sunny conditions. Moderate wind speeds from the south may have produced localized wind slabs on northerly lee features. Surface hoar up to 10 mm and near-surface faceting have been noted in shady locations. The snow from last week is settling and generally bonding well to the late-November rain crusts. Cornices may be weakening with the continuing warm air temperatures.
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 Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.