Wind and snow have lead to an increase in hazard. Remember that even a small avalanche can have serious consequences in exposed terrain and shallow snowpack run-out zones.
Weather Forecast
Flurries will continue tonight before a clearing trend on Tuesday. Strong SW winds will continue with Alpine temperatures reaching a high of only -10 Celsius on Tuesday. Wednesday is a mixed bag, with another wave of snow expected on Thursday.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity was observed over the past couple of days, but observations have been very limited.
Snowpack Summary
By mid-afternoon on Monday 5cm had fallen in the Alpine with strong SW winds. More snow is expected overnight. Wind slab development is ongoing at higher elevations in lee and cross-loaded features. The Halloween Crust is buried between 15 and 25cm and has shown signs of facetting in some areas. This crust is found below 2500m on all aspects, and will be one to watch through the start of the season. At lower elevations the snowpack is shallow and weak with extensive early season hazards to be concerned with.
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.