More snow and strong winds may push the avalanche danger into HIGH on Sunday. Conditions are still rugged out there with a generally below average snowpack.
Confidence
Moderate - Timing of incoming weather systems is uncertain on Sunday
Weather Forecast
As the cold front pushes throuhgou the region tonight we can expect a few more cm of snow to fall. At most 10cm is what we should expect. Winds will continue to be the dominate theme overnight before easing tomorrow as temperatures return to more seasonal values.
Avalanche Summary
A few new sz 1-2 slabs at treeline and low alpine areas. These slabs were mainly on N, W and E aspects and failing in the basal facets.
Snowpack Summary
8cm new in the Alpine over the past 24hrs and a few cm throuhgout the day but overall, wind was the main theme. Strong winds from the west pummelled the snowpack creating widespread hard slabs in open areas. The Dec 10th and the weak layer of facets underneath this layer are the main culprits these days as any failures in the snowpack are going to involve the weak basal facets and the majority of the snowpack. Ski quality is pretty dismal for sure.
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.