Continue to assess the wind slab hazard as you gain elevation. Winds have varied in direction over the past few days.
Current stormy weather will add to the existing wind slab problem. Winds have varied in direction so look for wind slab on all aspects.
Wednesday night: stormy weather with moderate to strong west winds. temperatures around -2 at 1100m. up to 5cm of new snow.
Thursday: stormy weather continues with up to 10cm of snow and moderate to strong west winds. Freezing level rising to 1300m.
Friday: stormy with 5-15cm of snow . Strong southwest winds with extreme gusts. Freezing level rising to 1500m.
Saturday: no new snow expected. Strong northwest winds with freezing levels around 1000m.
Since Sunday's storm, there have been several reports of small dry loose sluffs in steep terrain (see this MIN report from Mt Allan Brooks). Several storm slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were also reported on Sunday.
The current stormy weather will add to the wind slab problem.
Last weekends storm brought 25-40 cm of snow above 1100-1200 m (see this MIN and this MIN from Mt Elma). Below these elevations, the new snow cycled through a melt-freeze cycle.
Strong southwest winds during Sunday's storm has since become moderate from the northwest, redistributing the recent snow into wind slabs across a range of aspects at upper elevations. Monitor for changing slab conditions as you move into wind-exposed terrain.
The weekend storm snow sits over a thick and supportive crust that extends to mountain top. The middle and base of the snowpack are well settled and strong. Below treeline, the snowpack has receded back to marginal levels with many hazards present.
