Intense sun and high freezing levels will rise hazard levels on Thursday. Plan to travel early in the day on all solar facing terrain. Watch for loose, wet snow below treeline on all aspects.
Moderate to strong SW winds have redistributed snow into Alpine and Treeline lee features. Be suspect of slopes where stiffer, dense surface slabs are present. Wind slabs might be triggered on the March 30 interface down 50-70 cm.
Strong solar inputs today with high freezing levels will elevate the avalanche hazard. We are expecting wet loose natural avalanches, especially in steep terrain facing the sun.
A ridge will bring warm air and higher freezing levels,3000m Thurs, with a storm coming on Fri.
Tonight: Clear, Alp low -5*C, FZL 1100m, Light SW winds
Thurs: Cloudy with sunny periods, Alp high +2*C, FZL 2900m, Mod SW winds
Fri: Flurries, 10 cm, Alp high 1*C, FZL 2600m, mod SW winds
Sat: Sun/Cloud/Flurries, Tr, Alp high -5*C, FZL 2100m, light W winds
Surface crust on all aspects to 1700 m, into the alpine on solar aspects. A series of late March/early April crusts are buried down below 30-80 cm of storm snow. This mostly fell as rain below treeline.
Northerly alpine slopes hold cold, wintery snow. The December 1st crust is down 1.5-2m. Large cornices are present through out the parks.
Wednesday:
Explosive testing at treeline on north and east aspects triggered two size 1.0 avalanches, failing down 15 cm below a soft slab.
A natural glide slab avalanche sz 3.0 was observed west of the rogers pass summit.
On Tuesday a team in the west end of the park easily ski cut a sz 2.5 persistent slab, 70cm deep, 50m wide, NE asp, at 2150m.
