Evaluate surface conditions throughout the day.
As the surface crust breaks down and snow becomes wet, avalanches become more likely. Brief periods of strong sunshine and rising temperatures can quickly increase danger.
Warm temperatures and sun throughout the day may quickly soften and weaken surface snow.
Pay close attention to how thick and supportive the surface crust is throughout the day. Minimize your exposure to slopes with wet and heavy snow.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Up to 5 cm overnight. Freezing levels drop to 1000 m. Partly cloudy.
THURSDAY: A mix of sun and cloud, light to moderate westerly winds. Light flurries continue. Freezing levels reach 1700 m, alpine highs of +1.
FRIDAY: Sunny with afternoon cloud, light southwest winds. Freezing levels reach 1800 m. Alpine highs of +4.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with light westerly winds. Light snowfall, around 5-10 cm over the day. Freezing levels reach 1700 m. Alpine highs of +1.
On Tuesday, natural wet avalanches were reported on steep sun affected slopes to size 1. Wet avalanche activity is expected to decrease as temperatures cool and freezing levels lower this week.
The upper snowpack is going through a daily melt-freeze cycle. A crust exists on all aspects to around 2300 m, and into the alpine on solar aspects. Warm temperatures and sun are softening or breaking down the crust during the day and creating moist snow. At very low elevations, the snowpack may be wet and isothermal, depending on overnight freezing levels.
The mid and lower snowpack are generally strong and well bonded.
