Watch for small but reactive pockets of dry snow, especially in wind-affected areas.Continue to evaluate the snowpack for signs of instability as you travel.
Where dry snow persists at upper elevations, be mindful of reactive pockets around ridgeline and lee features, particularly in areas impacted by wind.
The field team reported a few large cornice falls suspected to be a couple of days old on Wednesday and Thursday. Last weekend, a few loose wet avalanches were reported during the warm period. As the sun pokes out and temperatures warm, loose wet avalanches may again be possible.
Upslope conditions deposited 10-20 cm at upper elevations. A weak layer of surface hoar is developing on the surface in shady areas at treeline and above.
A thick melt-freeze crust caps the snowpack in most areas, except for high north-facing alpine slopes where dry snow prevails. At lower elevations and on steep sunny slopes, the surface crust may soften with warming during the day, or the snowpack may be isothermal.
A layer of weak, faceted crystals overlying a crust is buried 30 to 60 cm in the east of the region and 50 to 100 cm in the west. Triggering this layer has become unlikely, except in the case of shallow snowpack spots or very large loads like cornice falls.
Thursday Night
Starry sky and patchy clouds. East ridgetop wind, 20-30 km/h. Treeline temperature low -6 °C. Freezing level dropping to valley bottom.
Friday
Sunny. Southeast ridgetop wind, 5-15 km/h. Treeline temperature high -1 °C. Freezing level rising to 1100 m.
Saturday
A mix of sun and cloud. Northwest ridgetop wind gusting to 60 km/h. Treeline temperature high +1 °C. Freezing level rising to 1200 m.
Sunday
Cloudy with isolated flurries, trace to 5 cm. West ridgetop wind gusting to 45 km/h. Treeline temperature high 0 °C. Freezing level rising above 1700 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
