Uncertainty remains around the impact of warming temperatures on Sunday.
Seek out slopes that haven't been impacted by wind or warming temperatures.
The latest snowfalls arrived with moderate wind, building pockets of wind slabs. Human-triggered avalanches are possible on immediate lee and on cross-loaded terrain features.
Warming temperatures and solar radiation will increase the likelihood of small avalanches, especially on steep, south-facing slopes. Back off slopes as the surface becomes moist or wet with rising temperatures.
No new avalanches have been reported in our area lately, and there have been few people reporting observations. If you're heading out to the backcountry, please check for current conditions on the MIN or consider posting after your day. It helps strengthen our information gathering.
Between 20-40 cm of recent snow lays at the surface. The latest winds have left alpine and treeline slopes with pockets of heavily deposited snow or wind-affected snow. Earlier this week, many signs of instabilities were reported in the upper snowpack. Further deep, there are reports of a thick melt-freeze crust. At around 1000 m the snowpack reaches a depth of around 70 cm.
Lower treeline and below treeline elevation are still below the threshold for avalanches.
An arctic ridge of high pressure will become the main attraction for the next few days. Inverted temperatures are due to the above-freezing layer. Sunny and dry conditions will last up to Tuesday night.
Saturday Night
Clearing sky. No precipitation. Moderate easterly ridge wind. Low of +3C at treeline. Freezing level rise to 2000 m. Strong alpine temperature inversion.
Sunday
Mostly sunny. Clear sky. Light variable ridge wind. High of+ 5 C at treeline. Freezing level rising to 2000 m. Alpine temperature inversion.
Monday
Sunny. No precipitation. Light variable ridge wind. High of -1 C at treeline. Freezing level lowering to the valley bottom.
Tuesday
Cloudy. Isolated flurries. Light westerly ridge wind. High of -4 C at treeline. Freezing level lowering to the valley bottom.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
