Freezing level is forecast to ramp up over the next few days. Warm temperatures and direct sun will make the avalanche problems more reactive.
Limit exposure to overhead hazards and make conservative terrain choices!
The new snow overlays a buried persistent weak layer (PWL) that consists on suncrust, facets and/or surface hoar in some locations. Warm temps are promoting the settling of a cohesive, reactive slab on top of this layer. Expect this slab to become more reactive during times of intense solar.
High freezing levels and rain on snow have all contributed to a weak snowpack at lower elevations. No overnight freeze and direct sun will make this problem more reactive.
Just outside the park, explosive avalanche control produced avalanches up to size 3.5 avalanche on Wednesday with notably wide propagation.
On Tuesday Connaught Creek was busy, with reports of people remote-triggering avalanches to sz 2 on Video Pk, 8812 Bowl, Dispatcher Bowl, and Balu Pass shoulder.
Low elevation areas (below 1300m) have significant pinwheeling on the surface. Steep solar slopes are releasing moist/loose avalanches to sz 2 with direct sun.
40cm of heavy storm snow sits on a faceted upper snowpack. Strong to extreme SW winds created windslabs at Alpine and Tree-line elevations.
A weak layer of surface hoar, facets and/or suncrust (Jan 30th) is 50-80cm down. This layer is easy to pick out in the snowpack and is reactive to human loads.
Low elevation zones with a thin snowpack should be treated with caution. The cold, weak facets at the base have undergone rapid change and are now nearly isothermal.
Feels like spring! Scattered sun and cloud with warm temps are forecast as a weak ridge of high pressure sets up.
Tonight Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Alp low -4°C. Ridge winds west 15-35km/hr. FZL 1100m
Fri Mix sun/cloud. Alp high -3°C. Light wind. FZL 1800m
Sat Mix of sun/cloud. Alp high +2°C. Light wind. FZL 1900m with a temperature inversion.
Sun Cloudy. Alp high 1°C. Ridge wind light. FZL 1700m.
