Daytime warming and sun has been softening the melt freeze crust by the end of the day, especially on steeper solar aspects. Keep this in mind and avoid solar slopes if they are warming up or sluffing.
Excellent snow quality on polar aspects.
Cornices are LARGE and may be sensitive to temperature fluctuations, solar radiation, wind loading or just your mere presence nearby. Take necessary precautions if approaching them to access your line and limit your exposure below them.
Mainly sunny for Sunday with periods of cloud and isolated flurries. Ridge top winds will be light and variable. The freezing level will rise up to 1500m and the Alpine temperature will reach -6. A small storm system moves into the region on Monday evening bringing ~10cm of snow to higher elevations by Tuesday midday.
A supportive crust (15-20cm thick) from valley bottom to ~2200m makes for quick travel in the morning (ski crampons recommended). Preserved soft snow can typically be found on polar slopes at higher elevations. Wind affected snow in the alpine from the Northerly winds from a few days ago.
Natural activity has been minimal this past week. Be wary of cornices, limit your exposure below them and use extreme caution if approaching them from the ridge.
On Wednesday there was a size 3 skier triggered (on belay) cornice fall off of Mt Bonney. On Monday, there was a close call when a small wind slab nearly took a skier into a crevasse!
