High freezing levels, strong wind and rain are affecting the snowpack. Carefully manage your exposure to overhead hazards and make conservative terrain selection.
Rising freezing levels and rain will continue to weaken the upper snowpack. Wet loose avalanches have the potential to entrain lots of wet, heavy snow, especially at lower elevations, where the snow pack is moist to the ground.
Rising freezing levels and rain will continue to weaken the lingering slabs found deep in terrain features and in sheltered terrain. Expect them to become increasingly reactive during this period of extensive warming.
Rising freezing levels and moderate rain have transformed the surface into wet snow up to roughly 2200 m. Above this, wind-pressed snow and small wind slabs, formed by strong winds, may still exist.
A crust layer can be found down 30 to 50 cm on lee features and on the surface in windward terrain.
Below this, the mid and lower snowpack are generally well consolidated with early-season crusts deep in the snowpack.
The snowpack rapidly diminishes at lower elevations and is likely moist to the ground in shallower areas.
A natural avalanche cycle with numerous wet loose and wet slabs (up pto size 2) was reported in the neighboring region on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, near Castle Mountain, riders were able to trigger small wet avalanches up to size 1.
Looking ahead, natural avalanches are likely at all elevations due to continuous rain and elevated freezing levels.
Wednesday Night
Cloudy. 5 to 15 mm of rain at treeline. 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 15 mm of rain at treeline. 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 1 °C. Freezing level 2400 m.
Friday
Cloudy. 10 to 20 mm of rain at treeline. 80 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 3 °C. Freezing level 2600 m.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy. 2 to 5 mm of rain at treeline. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -1 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
