Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended during periods of rapid loading. New slabs may rapidly form as rain switches to snow.
New storm slabs may form as rain switches to snow. The largest and touchiest slabs should be at higher elevations. Best to give the new snow a bit of time to bond to the snowpack before exposing yourself to consequential avalanche terrain.
Many large (size 2) slab avalanches were triggered naturally over the past few days, and we expect that many more avalanche observations will be reported once the skies clear.
Looking forward, new storm slabs could form as the rain switches to snow.
Rain will switch to snow, building a new storm slab that sits on wet snow. The extensive rain from the past few days likely wettened the upper snowpack and melted the weak layer of surface hoar previously found about 10 to 20 cm deep, though it may linger in isolated areas at high elevations.
The middle and base of the snowpack is expected to be wet, except for perhaps near the mountain tops where dry faceted snow may remain.
Snowpack depths are approximately 50 to 80 cm at treeline, which rapidly tapers with lower elevations.
Wednesday Night
Cloudy with 15 to 25 cm of high-elevation snow and rain at lower elevations, southwest alpine wind 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature 0 °C, freezing level 2100 m dropping to 1700 m by morning.
Thursday
Cloudy with 15 to 25 cm of snow and locally higher amounts possible, southwest alpine wind 20 to 40 km/h, treeline temperature -5 °C, freezing level 1500 m.
Friday
Cloudy with 10 to 20 cm of early-morning snow then clearing, west alpine wind 10 to 20 km/h, treeline temperature -7 °C.
Saturday
Mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation, southwest alpine wind 20 km/h, treeline temperature -10 °C.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
