One more day of exploring in the sun before cloud and drizzle dampen the mood. Bring sharp tools to deal with hard crust and start and finish early to avoid getting caught in isothermal snow.
Island cornices already took a beating, but there are a few large ones left in classic spots with large fetches, like the summit ridge of Albert Edward. Avoid traveling under them during the day and--as always--stay well back at ridgetop!
Where snow still exists on solar slopes, slushy, isothermal conditions can develop during the heat of the day. Plan your route with this in mind to avoid getting surprised by difficult travel and rising wet loose avalanche danger.
No new avalanches have been reported recently, and under current conditions, very little activity is expected. If you get out into the backcountry, post a MIN!
All of the Island snowpack has now seen temperatures well above 0 °C. Clear overnights will allow surface crusts to form before daytime warming softens the surface again. Even after repeated melt-freeze cycles, travelers appear to still be finding enough boot and ski penetration for effective travel. Sharp footwear may be essential during the morning hours.
Expect surfaces to become moist during the day and even isothermal on sun-facing slopes. Wet loose avalanche danger emerges when this condition is in play, a counterpoint to slip-and-fall hazards when the surface is frozen. Outside of oscillating surface conditions, there are no layers of concern in the snowpack. We still have about 190 cm at 1450 m.
Thursday Night
Clear skies. 10 km/h southeast ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 7 °C. Freezing level 2800 m.
Friday
Sunny before clouding over late afternoon. 10 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature 9 °C. Freezing level 2700 m.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers, 1 to 4 mm. 5 km/h south ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature 7 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.
Sunday
A mix of sun and cloud with scattered showers, 2 to 5 mm. 10 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline high temperature 7 °C. Freezing level 2300 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
