Caution with rising freezing levels as steep solar slopes and failing cornices will be of most concern in the next few days.
Originally formed on weak Feb 20th facets. It is prudent to keep this on your radar with rising temperatures as reactivity may increase. Cornices weakened by the warmer temperatures will have the potential to trigger slabs below.
As the mercury slowly rises above 0 and the sun comes out, solar slopes will loose strength. Caution with your timing when traveling on/under these features. Best time to travel is early while its frozen solid.
Caution in thin facetted snowpack areas where triggering is more likely. This is a low probability but high consequence problem.
Saturday will be sunny with cloudy periods, no new snow and alpine high of -1 °C. Ridge wind southwest: 10-20 km/h. Freezing level: 1900 metres.Sunday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Precipitation: Nil. Alpine temperature: Low -3 °C, High 1 °C. Mostly light ridge winds. Freezing level: 2300 metres.
High solar input have created crusts and moist snow on solar aspects at TL and below. Expect this condition to increase in elevation with rising freezing levels. SW winds have redistributed the snow pack at TL and ALP. The mid pack is supportive in deep areas but weak in shallow areas where it fails on buried facet layers in test results.
Patrol in the Icefields area reported no new avalanches on Friday.
