Strong winds in the alpine have created a touchy windslab. The rainsoaked snowpack below treeline needs cold temps to regain strength.
Weather Forecast
Today we can expect a break in the stormy weather. Temps will cool with freezing level down to 800m today giving us an alpine high of -9 deg. We might see sunny breaks in a mostly cloudy day today, with isolated small scale convective flurries. The next low pressure system and associated cold front arrives at Tuesday bringing 10-15cms of snow.
Snowpack Summary
Warm temperatures yesterday with rain created a moist snow surface to ~1900m. Overnight cooling has now turned that into a crust. In the alpine and at treeline 10cm of heavy snow fell and strong winds blew from the south creating windslab. Nov 23 Crust is still the prominent crust down 20-30cm. Below that the snowpack is rain soaked and isothermal
Avalanche Summary
In the Connaught creek drainage, skiers reported two natural size 2 wet slabs off of Mt Cheops, stopping halfway down the runout. Two natural size 2.5's were observed from high Alpine start zones yesterday along the highway, likely triggered by recent snowfall and windloading at ridgetop.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain
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.
Wet Slabs
Wet Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) that is generally moist or wet when the flow of liquid water weakens the bond between the slab and the surface below (snow or ground). They often occur during prolonged warming events and/or rain-on-snow events. Wet Slabs can be very unpredictable and destructive.