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Current warm period is still ongoing with snowpack getting quite damp all the way up to around 2700 m. before the last snowfall. This storm brought about 20-30 cm of damp snow at higher elevations while rain was ongoing below 2000 m.
During the upcoming couple of days some W winds are about to set in as it is casual in the area after the storms.
In these conditions and with fresh snow on top wet loose avalanches are certain to happen later in the day on solar aspects (so plan your riding earlier in the day) and wind slabs are about to form at higher elevations on E facing slopes.
MULTIPLE windslabs seen around the area, some up to size 3 which probably involved deeper layers. Some very large debris fields seen near the valley floor off the Lomisa ridge area.
MULTIPLE Loose wet and windslabs, which also triggered buried weaknesses, were seen around the area on Sunday and Monday. Sizes ranged from 1 to 3 - and a possible size 4 near the road on the Kobi side.
MULTIPLE size 2 natural avalanches on Miketi and Sheli SE slopes starting at 2600-2400 m.
Ongoing warm period has produced a dense, moist and settled snowpack in the alpine and sub-alpine zones. Fresh snowfall brought mostly damp snow across most of the area. However, there are some areas of drier snow on shaded aspects above about 2700 m.
A surface hoar / surface facets layer which was buried on 05/02 can be found around 80 cm deep, which has produced recent ECTP results in tests, and is likely involved in step-downs of avalanches observed over the last week or two.
During the night of Feb 18 in the alpine and high alpine thick crusts formed on top of the snowpack on E, S and W aspects - these were later covered with fresh Feb 18-19 snow. Incoming sharp temperature drop on Feb 19-20 will lead to a steep temperature gradient in the upper layers of the snowpack.In these conditions faceted snow might appear above and below such crusts - this is a subject for further investigation.
Various hard wind-pressed layers are in the pack in many locations. The depth of snow varies through the forecast area, from less than 100cm in the north of the region (e.g. Sioni valley) to more than 150cm in the west (Lomisa area). A sugary, weak 10-20 cm thick base layer at ground still remains a concern in the high alpine and alpine zones on W, N, and E slopes - but the areas this can be found are 'patchy' (i.e. not everywhere).
Some low clouds on Feb 20 before noon and sunny on Feb 21.
Sharp temperature drop during Feb 19-20 night (as low as -14C at the resort level). Later air temps will gradually rise up to 2C on Feb 21, but during the night air temps will stay well below 0C.
Freezing level will be at 700 m. and will rise accordingly as high as 2750 m. in the afternoon of Feb 21.
Light W winds down low and moderate W winds in the Alpine and High alpine.
Low clouds in the morning of Feb 20.
Glide cracks are appearing and many glide slab avalanches are being seen - do not hang out under areas where there are cracks! They can release any time of the day or night.