Light snow is forecast for the next two days. If more significant snowfall occurs, be on the lookout for wind slab formation at treeline and above.
Confidence
Good - Wind effect is extremely variable
Weather Forecast
No major weather systems in sight for the near future, but flurries at higher elevations and wet snow or rain at lower elevations is possible in the next 48 hrs. The next pacific storm system is forecast for late Thursday of Friday.
Avalanche Summary
In general, avalanche activity has tapered-off dramatically. However, an anomalous size 2 slab avalanche was skier triggered on Thursday on a steep, north-facing alpine slope. The exact failure plane is not known, although the depth of the crown (50-200cm) suggest it may have been a persistent weakness.Skier triggering of deeper weaknesses will remain unlikely, especially with forecast cooling; although small wind slabs are possible with light snowfall forecast for the weekend.
Snowpack Summary
A thick supportive surface crust is capping the snowpack. Below the crust is the recent storm snow which is around 50-70cm deep and sits on a previously variable snow surface that included wind affected surfaces, a freezing rain crust or sun crust, and/or surface hoar or sugary facets in sheltered terrain. In the middle of the snowpack you might find the mid-December surface hoar or crust/facet weak layers. These are now typically buried at least 100cm below the surface. The old surface hoar layer may be found in sheltered shady areas at and below treeline, while the slightly deeper crust/facet layer is expected to be more widespread but also more variable.
Problems
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.