Give the new snow time to stabilize. Watch for fresh windslabs at ridge top especially on south through west aspects.
The new low density snow falls on a sugary layer that was created in the deep freeze. This a perfect combo for sluffs and loose dry avalanches running fast & heavy.
Fresh snow with wind has created a new storm slab problem. North winds and valley bottom gap winds have created slabs in non-typical places, heads up! Expect the new slab to be most reactive on south and west aspects where buried crusts exist.
Widespread natural avalanche activity was observed in the highway corridor on Wednesday. The largest avalanches(up to size 3) were from the steep south face of Mt Tupper.
Tuesday there was a skier triggered avalanche on Cheops on a steep west aspect. This was a windslab on top of a crust and ran for approximately 200m.
Bruins Ridge saw a sz 2 wind slab fail on a SW aspect, most likely on the underlying suncrust.
*All skier triggered avalanches failed on a suncrust.
Moderate northerly winds have redistributed the recent 10-20cms of storm snow. beneath this recent storm snow is a layer of harder wind affected snow sitting on a sun crust on solar aspects.
In sheltered areas below treeline this new snow is evenly distributed and sitting on facets.
Below 2100m there is a crust down 70-80cm (from Dec 5th/6th).
The Dec 1 surface hoar layer is down 90-120cm and is decomposing. However, it is still reactive in isolated snowpack tests.
After a brief stormy period we will be back to high pressure and cold clear weather.
Tonight: Clear with cloudy periods, Alp low -21°C, wind: east 20 km/hr.
Thurs: Mix of sun/cloud, nil snow, Alp high -10°C, wind: SE 20km/hr.
Friday: Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries, trace amount of snow, Alp high -5°C, Wind: SW 25km/hr
Sat: Flurries (7 cm), Alp high -15°C, light E wind.
