The persistent slab that makes up the top 12-18 inches of the snowpack remains the biggest problem. Steep, open slopes below ridgelines are the most likely places to trigger an avalanche. Conservative decision making should be applied to your route finding in the mountains today. Give extra caution to unsupported and unanchored slopes.
The persistant slab that has caused our biggest avalanche concern across the zone continues to stick around. Snow from a storm on 11/31 has turned into a slab and is sitting on a layer of old sugary snow. The slab is not bonded well to the snow underneath it. Stability tests continue to fail easily.
Cold temperatures have allowed little change to the snowpack over the past week. As you can see in the graph below, the snow has settled 6 inches in the past 4 days. As time moves on, the slab of snow on the surface will continue to settle and stiffen. As the slab stiffens, we'll need to continue monitoring it to see whether or not the bonding to the layer underneath improves. Hopefully, time can help heal the old/new snow interface, but we'll see! The amount of whoomphing, settling and cracking has diminished, but is still present in some instances while traveling in the backcountry. Silver Mountain Ski Patrol reported temperatures ranging from the mid 20's to 33 degrees yesterday. For the most part, there haven't been big differences from aspect to aspect, but with warmer temperatures, and the sun poking out a little bit, the snow on south facing slopes is starting to become a little heavier and wetter.
For the next couple of days, light snow and freezing drizzle are possible. Temperatures will continue to stay in the 20's and mild winds out of the W/SW are forecasted. The next chance for significant snow is later this week starting during the day on Thursday and continuing into Thursday night.
