Be alert to conditions that change with aspect and elevation.
Heightened avalanche conditions exist on specific terrain features.
Carefully assess your local conditions and consider how the weather affects the snowpack.
Recent snow has seen mild wind effect. Slabs have been soft and specific to immediate lees of ridge crests. They may remain rider-triggerable, especially on steep, unsupported and / or convex terrain features.
Loose wet avalanches will become increasingly likely on steep solar aspects as the surface becomes moist or wet with strong sun.
On Monday and Tuesday, solar-triggered loose wet avalanches were observed out of steep south aspects. Over the weekend, loose dry avalanches were numerous, naturally and skier-triggered, size 1-2. Small wind slabs to size 1 were reported, triggered by sun, skiers and loose dry avalanches from above.
A moist or crusty surface exists on solar aspects and low elevations. 15 to 20 cm of recent snow sits over a variety of surfaces including crust. Shady, wind sheltered areas at upper elevations hold dry, soft snow. Low elevations are melting out rapidly.
A weak layer of sugary facets is still prominent at the base of the snowpack. Although we haven't seen avalanche activity on it for some time, it could reactivate with sudden changes like prolonged or intense warming shocking the snowpack. Large loads like cornice falls are the most likely things to trigger this layer but human triggering may be possible in rocky, shallow, or thin-to-thick snowpack areas.
Fair weather continues until a warm system crashes into the south coastal ranges Friday. Warm & windy conditions are expected to impact the region over the weekend.
Tuesday night
Mostly cloudy with clear periods. Light northeast win. Alpine low -2 °C. Freezing level at valley bottom.
Wednesday
A mix of sun and cloud. Light southwest wind increasing to moderate. Alpine high of -1 °C. Freezing level rises to 1500 m.
Thursday
Mostly cloudy. Isolated flurries. Moderate southwest wind gusting 40 km/h. Alpine high 0 °C. Freezing level rises to 1700 m.
Friday
Cloudy. Isolated flurries up to 5 cm. Moderate southwest wind gusting 40 km/h Alpine high 0 °C. Freezing level rises to 1800 m.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
