Strong wind, more precipitation, and freezing levels spiking overnight will keep avalanche hazard elevated.
Depending on where the snow-rain line falls, the highest elevations could see upwards of 20 cm by noon Monday. Reactive slabs will build where dry snow prevails. Be especially cautious transitioning into wind-loaded terrain, more reactive deposits lurk in leeward features.
Freezing levels are forecast to spike overnight with temperatures above 0 C at all elevations. The wet avalanche hazard will be highest Monday morning at all elevations and persist until the snowpack has frozen again.
Poor weather and road closures have limited observations, however, we suspect a natural avalanche cycle occurred sometime Sunday.
Please continue to post your observations and photos to the Mountain Information Network.
Dry snow may persist at the highest elevations, however, most surfaces are moist with a saturated snowpack at lower elevations.
At the start of the storm, fresh snow covered a layer of facetted and unconsolidated snow which formed during the recent cold weather. The snowpack was well settled and bonding well. Snowpack depths reach 200 cm at treeline and higher.
Sunday Night
Rain, 5-10 mm. Ridgetop low temperature +4 C. Southwest wind gusting to 60 km/hr. Freezing level spiking above 2500 m and dropping to 2200 m by dawn.
Monday
Rain and wet snow with cooling through the day, 20 mm. Flurries possible above 1800 m as temperatures drop. Ridgetop low temperature -2 C. Southwest wind 30-50 km/hr. Freezing level below 1500 m by end of day.
Continued precipitation and high freezing levels will produce a variety of frozen water forms including freezing rain at roadside elevations.
TuesdayWet flurries, 5-10 mm. Ridgetop high temperature +2 C. Southwest wind 30-50 km/hr. Freezing level rising to 2000 m.
WednesdayFlurries. Ridgeline high temperature -1 C. Southwest wind 30-50 km/hr. Freezing falling to valley bottom.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
