You can now find a melt freeze crust on solar aspects up to tree line. A slight change in your aspect can be the difference between finding dry powder and a breakable crust. Caution as the sun comes out on solar aspects.
Ongoing moderate SW winds will continue to form slabs in the alpine and exposed tree line features. These wind slabs sit on the Feb 20th facet interface giving hard test results
Caution in thin facetted snowpack areas where triggering is more likely. This is a low probability but high consequence problem.
The temperatures continue to drop slowly to lows of -15 overnight.
A mix of sun and cloud with moderate SW-W winds.
No real snow accumulation is expected.
Warm temps and high solar input have created crusts and moist snow on solar aspects at TL and below. Continuing SW winds have extensively redistributed the snow pack at TL and ALP. The mid pack is supportive in deep areas, but shallow snowpack areas are weak and failing on buried facet layers in test results.
Field teams down south today noted no new avalanche activity today. Limited visibility in the alpine.
