Pockets of lingering lingering wind slabs can still be found on high northerly aspects where the snow has remained dry and cold.
Weather Forecast
TONIGHT: Flurries. Accumulation 2-4 cm. Ridge wind light, west. Alpine Temperature near -5. Freezing level 800 m.FRIDAY: Cloudy, light flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind light, northeast. Alpine Temperature near -3. Freezing level 1600 m.SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy, flurries. Accumulation 5-10 cm. Ridge wind light, east. Alpine Temperature near -4. Freezing level 1600 m.SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy, light flurries. Accumulation 2-4 cm. Ridge wind light, northwest. Alpine Temperature near -5. Freezing level 1500 m.
Avalanche Summary
A widespread natural avalanche cycle to size 3 was reported over the past several days. These were primarily wet loose avalanches on sunny aspects; however, on Saturday slabs did step down to the mid-February layer (with 50-70 cm crowns) on southerly aspects.On Wednesday there were reports of both skier triggered and natural wind slab releases up to size 1.5, as well as a size 2 natural cornice failure all on on north aspects between 2000 - 2400 m.
Snowpack Summary
A light dusting of new snow now covers a crust on all but high, north and east facing slopes that still have cold dry snow above a well-settled snowpack. Deeper persistent weak layers from January and December are generally considered dormant, but could wake up with a surface avalanche stepping down, cornice fall, or a human trigger in a shallow or variable-depth snowpack area. These layers consist of sun crust, surface hoar and/or facets.
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.