Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Expect cloudy skies with moderate snowshowers and strong south/southwesterly winds. Alpine temperatures should reach -6. 25cm is possible.Thursday: Continuing cloudy, with a chance of lingering flurries. Winds should turn more northerly and ease to light values with alpine temperatures reaching -5.Friday: Mixed skies with continued light northerly winds and temperatures around -3.
Avalanche Summary
We have reports of natural, explosive and rider triggered windslabs up to size 1.5 failing on northwest through east facing terrain These are failing at treeline and in the alpine. As the storm snow deepens, expect the activity (size and frequency) to pick up.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 40cm of new snow has fallen, with consistent southerly winds. New windslabs are forming in lee terrain. Newly buried surfaces include old windslabs, temperature and sun crusts and the new snow is bonding reasonably well at this interface. Down a further 20-50 cm sits a persistent interface comprising of crusts, facets and surface hoar crystals. This layer seems to be rounding and bonding under current conditions. The mid pack is generally well settled with the average snowpack depth at treeline around 180 cm.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.