Keep a close eye on wind values. There is a lot of snow available for transport!
Expect the avalanche danger to increase as the storm progresses.
Expect the development of fresh windslabs with the gusty arrival of this next storm.
If triggered, these slabs could possibly step down to the Dec 1 crust, approx 70-120cm deep.
The upper snowpack continues to loose cohesion due to the cold temps. Expect sluffing in steep terrain, particularly where sheltered from the wind.
A brief reprieve from the arctic air with the arrival of a frontal system tonight.
Tonight: 6cm snow. Wind SW-50km/h. Alpine Low -17C.
Sunday: 9cm snow. Wind S-35km/h. Alpine high -11C.
Monday: 13cm snow. Wind SW-45 km/h. Alpine high -8C.
The upper snowpack continues to weaken with the cold temps. Small pockets of windslab (5-30cm thick) exist at the surface of all elevations along ridge-crests, and in open features exposed to down-flowing winds. The Dec 1 crust is buried 70-120cm, with weak, sugary snow above and below it (especially in shallow areas).
No new avalanches were observed in the highway corridor today.
On Friday, tree bombs triggered a few small loose dry avalanches, and one size 2.0 windslab on solar aspects.
Thursday, a cornice fall triggered a small (size 1.5) windslab in the Connaught slidepath.
