Higher elevations hold the best riding, but are also where triggering slabs is most likely.
Avoid being below cornices and plan to be out of avalanche terrain before the heat of the day.
Where dry snow is available for transport, northeast wind could form wind slabs over a crust in a reverse-loading pattern.
Watch for reactive slabs in unusual areas.
Cornice falls are hard to predict and could trigger large avalanches on the slope below that step-down to buried weak layers. Avoid travelling below cornices, especially during the heat of the day and when solar radiation is strong.
Wet loose avalanches become more likely on sun affected slopes if the surface crust breaks down.
In the past few days, several natural wind slabs (size 1-2.5) have been reported from north and east alpine terrain, many of them cornice triggered. A few of these avalanches are suspected to have stepped down to buried weak layers, producing avalanches to size 3.5.
Loose wet avalanches (size 1-2) continue to happen on steep south-facing slopes in the afternoon.
Surface conditions vary from dry powder on high-north aspects, a crust or moist snow low down and on south-facing slopes, and hard-wind-affected snow in exposed areas.
The mid and lower snowpack is generally strong, with older weak layers now buried 50 to 200 cm deep. There's a chance large triggers—like cornice failures—could still release deeper layers, especially on high north-facing slopes.
Tuesday night
A mix of sun and cloud. Isolated light precipitation, less than 1 mm. 20 to 50 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature drops to -5 °C. Freezing level 1300 m.
Wednesday
Partly cloudy with isolated light precipitation. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to 0 °C. Freezing level 2000 m.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud. 20 to 40 km/h northwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to +1 °C. Freezing level 2200 m.
Friday
A mix of sun and cloud. 30 to 60 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature rises to +2 °C. Freezing level 2500 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
