A warming trend is forecast for the next several days. Expect the afternoon avalanche danger to spike higher and higher every day until the end of next week.
25cm of warm snow blanketed the region Tues. This sits atop various surfaces (crust, previous wind slabs) and may be more reactive where wind effect is more pronounced.
Cautiously enter leeward facing lines, especially if the slab sits on a crust.
Watch for moist/wet avalanches during peak daytime warming, especially on steeper slopes exposed to maximum solar radiation.
A gradual warming trend is in the forecast through weekend, reaching it's peak late in the week.
Tonight: Mostly clear, Alpine low -2*C, light South ridgetop wind
Saturday: Cloud w/ sunny periods, High 0*C, Freezing level (FZL) 2100m, light E wind
Sun: Sunny periods, Low -1*C, High 3*C, FZL 2400m, light S wind
Mon: Cloudy, Low 1*C, High 3*C, FZL 2600m
We have 2 distinct snowpacks.
Below treeline the spring-time melt-freeze snowpack is solid in the am, then breaking down with daytime warming.
In the Alpine, you'll find a more winterlike snowpack, with up to 25cm of settling new snow atop various older surfaces (suncrust, and wind slab or dry powder on high, N'ly slopes).
Cornices are huge.
Friday, there was a loose wet size 3 from Gunners 3, a South facing highway avalanche path.
On Thursday, there was a size 3 cornice failure in the Tractor Shed East highway avalanche path. Also, a field team triggered a size 1 loose snow avalanche on a steep slope at treeline, and observed a day old size 2 loose snow avalanche in the Ravens.
