Sunday looks to be a bit cooler than Saturday although there is some potential for the sun to poke out and freezing levels will still approach 2000m.
Moderate winds overnight Saturday may redistribute some of the dry snow still found on shaded aspects: watch for new slab development.
The recent 15-25 cm has been distributed into some deeper and denser pockets by light variable winds. Winds are forecast to increase overnight into Sunday so further slab development is likely.
The Feb 3 layer is down 65-120 cm. In shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects, this layer remains sensitive to skiers, with remote triggering observed in several instances. All the recent avalanches that initiated on this layer stepped down to the basal facets/ground.
Moist snow can be expected daily at the lowest elevations as freezing levels swing. Some solar inputs look possible for Sunday. Remember that even a short burst of sun can develop moist snow very quickly on steep slopes.
No new avalanches reported Saturday.
The sun initiated a round of loose wet avalanches Friday to sz 1.5 out of steep solar terrain. Skiers and the control teams at the ski hills reported loose dry sluffing in steep terrain and dealt with small soft slabs near ridge tops.
It has now been one week since the last skier triggered avalanches on the Feb 3rd persistent weak layer: a remote in Purple Bowl and a fatal event at the Cathedral Glades.
15-25 cm of snow sits on the early April crust. New surface crusts to 2000m and ridgetop on solar slopes.
The February 3 persistent weak layer remains a concern for human triggering in shallow snowpack areas on northerly alpine aspects where no crusts are found in the upper snowpack and the midpack remains thin and weak.
Sat overnight: Freezing level returns to valley bottom with a few flurries. Winds shift NW and increase to the moderate range.
Sun: Mainly cloudy. Winds diminish and shift SW midday before increasing back to moderate overnight and then strong into Monday. Freezing level rises to near 2000m before returning to valley bottom overnight.
Click here for more weather info.
