Freezing levels are going to rise dramatically over the next few days.
With a complex snowpack, and continued strong winds, challenging and complex avalanche terrain should be avoided.
Soft and hard slabs have developed due to the recent warm temperatures, moderate to strong winds and small snow inputs. These slabs sit on facets that were produced during the cold snap in most areas and in some areas surface hoar and suncrusts have been found below these facets as well.
The base of the snowpack consists of weak facets, depth hoar, and the overlying crust in the midpack continues to break down. Use caution in steep terrain, large planar slopes, and thin to thick areas where initiating these slabs would be more likely.
Sunshine reported a natural avalanche from the Sunshine Landing's feature outside the resort. A 2500m North facing feature size 2 is suspected on the Dec 31 layer. They had one explosive result on the Westside chutes size 1.5 starting on the persistent layer and stepping down.
A climber fatally fell down the Aemmer Couloir Friday. The cause of the fall is unknown, possibly sluffing.
Bourgeau's left hand ran sz 2.5 on Thursday with a crown thought to be about 50cm deep.
Hard and soft slabs have formed due to recent warming, strong winds, and small snow inputs. These slabs may overlie two weak layers: 1) Facets from the cold snap sit 10 to 30cm deep. 2) Surface hoar or a sun crust have been found in some areas below the facets 30 to 50cm deep.
The midpack offers some strength and features two crusts that persist as high as 2350m.
The lower part of the snowpack comprises weak facets and depth hoar.
Saturday Night: Freezing levels will remain elevated overnight with continued strong winds with trace amounts of precipitation
Sunday: Strong to extreme southwest winds at ridgetop will blow across the Rockies. Up to 5cm of precip and freezing level to 2300m
Mon-Tues: Continued strong winds and freezing levels at ridgetop.
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