Elkhorns

Generally safe avalanche conditions are expected today as cooling temperatures, cloud cover, and breezy winds will help to stabilize the upper snowpack.  Wet loose avalanches on slopes receiving direct sun in the afternoon could linger but should remain small and manageable.   

This forecast is sponsored by CB Const, Inc. 

This will be our last weekend of producing avalanche forecasts.  Thanks for your support this season!  As you continue to travel in the mountains this spring, please submit relevant weather and snowpack observations and use this site as a community resource.  

Conditions will limit wet snow activity:

Lowering temperatures, breezy winds, and cloud cover will all help to swing the stability of the upper snowpack back into the green today.   Expect to see a limited amount of new wet loose activity as the upper snowpack continues to stabilize with freezing levels hovering around 4,000'.   That being said, things change quickly this time of year: a wind-sheltered slope in the direct sun this afternoon could soften to the point of being able to produce small human-triggered wet loose avalanches.  Track the depth of saturated snow, look for fresh pinwheels and rollerballs, and consider the results of even a small avalanche in consequential terrain.   

Pockets of wind-drifted snow:

Weather stations recorded 1-2" of new snow last night.  There could be some areas that were favored and picked up a bit more snow.  Uncertainty is high.  Winds will be gusty today and could redistribute the new snow into drifts of shallow but dense slabs below ridgelines.  It's not likely that these would be big enough to bury you, but with a stroke of bad luck, they could knock you off your feet and carry you over consequential terrain.   If you are finding more than 4" of new snow where you are traveling, carefully evaluate exposed terrain for thin but reactive small wind slabs.  

Cornices have become weak:

There are some huge looming and saggy cornices along exposed ridgelines.  Throughout the spring, they have been losing strength in the warming temperatures.  Avoid traveling near the edge of ridgelines where cornices could break further back than you might expect.  Use rocks and trees as clues to know where terra firma is, use a spotter from further along the ridgeline, and build some buffer into your estimation.  

Most cornices are near and above the treeline on the northern half of the compass, but when approaching any ridgeline regardless of aspect, look for cornice development.  

Be prepared and get into the spring mindset:   

Springtime brings dynamic weather and a smorgasbord of snow surfaces.  Be prepared for extreme weather shifts and variable snow surfaces from bulletproof crusts in the mornings to wet sloppy snow at lower elevations in the afternoon.  If you are traveling in the alpine this time of year, it is recommended to carry an ice axe, boot crampons, and ski crampons.   Practice putting these to use before you need them.  

With limited observations this time of year, uncertainty is higher.  Please submit an observation here and chip into the community info-sharing.  It can be simple, short, and even anonymous.  Thank you!