Avalanche hazard may rise quickly with snowfall, warming temps and increasing wind.
Minimize your overhead exposure during periods of heavy snow, and if the surface snow is switching from dry to moist/wet.
Ongoing snow, South winds, and mild temps continue to build a slab that is thicker and more reactive in windloaded lee features.
Expect loose snow avalanches in steep terrain, as freezing levels continue to rise.
A field team observed a few small loose snow avalanches in steep terrain on Glacier Crest Saturday.
Avalanche control just West of the park produced one size 3 storm slab avalanche in a large Southerly feature on Friday.
We observed isolated naturals in the highway corridor over the last week, triggered by southerly winds at upper elevations, and high freezing levels in valley bottom avalanche paths.
New snow, warm temperatures and wind at upper elevations continues to build storm slabs.
A sun crust (Jan 3), down 50-70cm, can be found at and below Tree-line on S-SW aspects, and has been a failure plane for a few recent human triggered avalanches.
The Dec 1 surface hoar layer is down ~110cm and is decomposing.
A frontal system impacts the interior early Sunday, bringing rising freezing levels, moderate snowfall and SW wind.
Tonight: Snow (10cm), Alpine low -2°C. Moderate SW ridgetop winds. Freezing level (FZL) 1700m
Sunday: Scattered flurries (5cm). Alpine High 0°C. Mod-strong SW winds. (FZL) 2000m
Mon: Isolated wet flurries. Low 0°C, High 4°C. FZL 3000m.
Tues: Isolated flurries. Low -5°C, High 5°C. FZL 2500m.
