Warm temperatures may create tricky conditions this weekend. Although the region is not included in the avalanche warning, deeper layers in the snowpack may become active. Approach the mountains cautiously, with your eyes open, and maybe even expect surprises.
Strong westerly winds overnight Friday will quickly impact recent loose snow. Expect to find more reactive depositions in open terrain and steep, convex features. Cornices may be extra touchy and fail naturally with solar input or daytime heating.
Rising temperatures may quickly destabilize recent snow. Be mindful around steep solar slopes when the sun is out.
Small (size 1-1.5) storm slab and loose dry avalanches avalanches were reported late Thursday with new snow and wind, particularly where more than 30 cm of snow accumulated and wind exceeded 25 km / hr.
A reactive snowpack may persist through the weekend as warm temperatures weaken the snowpack and test upper and mid snowpack layers.
FRIDAY NIGHT: Warm weather with minimal overnight cooling at treeline elevations. Strong gusting to extreme west wind, overnight low of -3, freezing level 1000 m.
SATURDAY: Warm with a mix of sun and clouds, strong wind from the west, high temperatures reaching +3 C as freezing level climbs to near 2000 m in the afternoon.
SUNDAY: Little overnight cooling at higher elevations, increasing cloud through day. Strong wind from the west, more cloud than sun, freezing level between 1500 and 2000m.
MONDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Decreasing moderate northwest wind, temperatures dropping to -5, and freezing level dropping to valley bottom.
Strong westerly winds have impacted 20-40 cm recent storm snow in open areas at treeline and throughout the alpine. Gusty winds may have loaded terrain further downslope than usual.
The lower snowpack is generally strong and bonded, with one or multiple crusts near the ground. We suspect the lower snowpack could be weak in shallow rocky wind-affected slopes east of the divide.
