New snow and wind on Monday will create touchy storm slabs reactive to human triggers; especially in wind effected terrain.
Confidence
Moderate - Forecast snowfall amounts are uncertain
Weather Forecast
MONDAY: Snow, accumulation 10-20 cm. Moderate to strong easterly ridgetop winds. Alpine temperature -2. Freezing level around 1500 m.TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy with sunny breaks. Moderate southwesterly ridgetop winds. Alpine temperature -2. Freezing level around 1500 m.WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Light southwesterly ridgetop winds. Alpine temperature 0. Freezing level rising to around 1800 m.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches were reported in this region on Saturday. However, storm slab activity is expected to increase on Monday with the forecast snow and wind.
Snowpack Summary
5-15 cm of new snow and moderate winds have formed fresh storm slabs which are most reactive in wind effected terrain. These storm slabs overlie numerous crusts within the top 100 cm of the snowpack. A well settled mid-pack sits above sugary facets in many parts of the region, especially thin snowpack areas.
Problems
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.