Avalanche conditions are generally safe. A few things to keep in mind as you travel are the potential for isolated cornice failures and small wet loose avalanches on sun-exposed slopes.
Depending on the timing of the incoming cloud cover on Thursday, strong March solar radiation still has the potential to create wet loose avalanches on sunny slopes.
On Sunday, several natural size 1 loose wet avalanches were observed from steep terrain on solar aspects. A skier-triggered size 1.5 loose wet was reported in the late afternoon on a southeast aspect. A solar-triggered size 1.5 slab avalanche was also reported from a steep treeline feature.
On Saturday, a few natural size 1 wet loose avalanches were observed on alpine features that received direct sun in the afternoon.
If you head out in the backcountry, let us know what you are seeing by submitting a report to the Mountain Information Network.
The snow surface consists of a sun crust on solar aspects, surface hoar up or facets in shady and wind-sheltered areas, and wind-affected surfaces in exposed terrain.
The top layer of the snowpack at higher elevations is made up of 20 to 40 cm of dense, wind-affected snow. It tapers to a rain crust below 1400 m. This Top layer of snow may sit on a sun crust on solar slopes and small surface hoar in sheltered, shaded areas.
The mid-snowpack is generally well-settled. The lower snowpack includes a layer of weak sugary crystals near the ground. This layer has not produced recent avalanche activity.
Wednesday night
Clear. Alpine temperatures drop to a low of -4 °C. Ridge wind light from the southwest. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of 3 °C. Ridge wind 10 to 30 km/h from the southwest. Freezing level rises to 2000 metres.
Friday
cloudy with flurries, up to 10 cm of accumulation. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -3 °C. Ridge wind 10 to 35 km/h from the southwest. Freezing level rises to 1300 metres.
Saturday
Cloudy with sunny periods and isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -5 °C. Ridge wind 10 to 30 km/h from the southwest. Freezing level rises to 1100 metres.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
