The hazard will be low in the morning but will increase through the day as the surface crust breaks down with solar input and rising freezing levels.
After several days of warm temperatures cornices are weak and susceptible to failure. Cornices may trigger larger avalanches on slopes below.
Warming daytime temperatures and high freezing levels will increase the possibility of a loose wet problem at treeline and below in the afternoon. Even short period of solar inputs may cause a rapid deterioration of the snowpack.
A mix of sun and cloud on Tuesday with freezing levels up to 2100m and light west winds. Cooler temperatures and increasing cloudiness with isolated flurries expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
Surface melt freeze crusts exist on all aspects up to approx. 2300m. On high elevation north aspects dry snow can be found. The mid-pack is well settled but has several persistent layers consisting of crusts and/or facets. These are currently unreactive to skier triggering but may wake up as spring heat penetrates the snowpack.
A ski touring party reported a cornice triggered size three slab on the north side of Cathedral Peak on Sunday. The local ski hills reported size one skier triggered wet loose avalanches below treeline on Monday.
