Newberry

Avalanches will be unlikely on Sunday in the Newberry Monument area.  Be aware of variable surface conditions and changing snow surfaces as the day warms up. Continue to carry avalanche rescue gear and use safe travel practices.

On my tour around the  Monument on Saturday, the effects of this previous week's heat spell were easily seen and felt. As far as access goes, the road is now bare pavement past the welcome station, and you can easily ride a bike within a half mile of the summit road. Although lower elevations are melting quickly, there is a much healthier snowpack as you get higher up, especially on more shaded slopes. Open south facing slopes are quite thin or bare earth. With continued warmer temps on the horizon, go out and enjoy the snow while you still can! The current bike access is actually a bit more straightforward than the patchy snowmobiling of the last few weeks. Access aside, I also noticed ample wet loose activity from earlier in the week. Most steep solar slopes, especially unsupported slopes, have debris in them. Looking ahead this week and seeing continued dry and warmer weather, our two weather stations in the area can be a great resource to get an idea of conditions and whether or not a solid overnight freeze occured.

We have been tracking two persistent weak layers this season (buried surface hoar and facets). Recent observations show that these weak layers have been gaining strength (rounding). In addition, Forecasters have not been getting any unstable results with column tests. We have removed  persistent slab from the forecast due to the lack of avalanches on these layers, lack of recent concerning test results, and these layers gaining strength. 

Small wet loose avalanches may be possible later in the afternoon Sunday on solar slopes.