Warmer weather is coming! Hopefully we can squeeze in one more day of cool weather tomorrow before we set into a pattern of sun/heat induced afternoon snowpack deterioration. Be sure to keep an eye on changing conditions, snow changes very quickly with intense sun.
Be alert of possible new thin wind slabs on the surface. In many areas these slabs will overlie a crust, possibly giving a poor bond.
Repeated warming/cooling cycles are helping stabilize these layers. Continue to watch steep polar aspects where the warming cycles are fewer and less intense.
The strong April sun will destabilize solar aspects, especially around steep, rocky areas.
Nothing new reported or observed today.
Crusts are the prominent layers in our changing snowpack. Thick, supportive surface crusts are up to 2500m and most aspects except true polar. Even polar aspects have crusts up to about 2200m. Beneath that are various other crusts that are helping hold it all together. With that said, the Mar 24 layer/interface is still evident and a potential failure plain on steep, high north country. Don't rule it out just yet.
The surface crust didn't start to break down until 2pm today, so travel conditions are still pretty good and will hopefully remain that way for tomorrow.
Beautiful day in store for tomorrow. Clear skies, morning low of -15°, daytime high of 0° and light winds at all elevations. Freezing level 2200m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
