Cooler temps will help to tighten up the treeline snowpack. As it transitions, keep an eye out for signs of lingering weaknesses. Inspect the snowpack frequently and don't jump into terrain blindly.
Weather Forecast
Treeline winds will continue to be in the 25 km/hr range for tonight. The temperatures are also expected to fall tonight to -10°. Tomorrow will be cloudy with generally cooler temps. Winds will be light out of SW. As the week end approaches, temps will become more seasonal. As for snow, we aren't expecting anything significant.
Avalanche Summary
No avalanches today
Snowpack Summary
The snow from the last storm cycle has been re-distributed by the strong to extreme westerly winds. This transport is more evident at the alpine elevations where crossloading and lee loading have occurred. These new wind slabs will are easily seen and/or predicted on N to SE aspects. Treeline suffers from the same problem, however the loading pattern is a bit trickier to predict. The slabs are 10-20cm thick and reactive to skier terrain in steep, unsupported terrain. The treeline midpack, is still considered weak and un supportive. Below treeline, the coverage is still shallow with very poor travel conditions when off an existing trail.
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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.