Spring-like diurnal conditions exist and the rating reflects the highest hazard level anticipated during the day with warming. Pay attention to steep south facing slopes as they heat up in the afternoon and destabilize. Give looming cornices a wide berth from above and below.
Especially in the southern half of the region where temperatures stay elevated overnight, warm temperatures and sunny skies can increase the likelihood of cornice failures. A cornice fall can be hazardous on its own. Minimize exposure to slopes that have cornices overhead, especially during the heat of the day.
Loose wet avalanches may occur during the heat of the day and primarily on solar aspects. Watch for changing snow surfaces like moist or wet snow, snowballing, or natural avalanche activity. Steep slopes and around rocks will be most susceptible to natural avalanche activity.
On Tuesday, a natural 1.5 loose wet avalanche was reported from steep rocky terrain and small loose-dry sluffs were easily triggered by skier traffic on northerly aspects.
Loose wet avalanches and cornice failures may continue with warming Thursday.
A Pacific frontal system approaching the coast on Thursday will start to force some upper-level cloud cover to the Interior Mountain Ranges. Freezing levels will be between 1500-2000 m. By Friday the system will bring unsettled weather with new snow and cloudy skies.
Thursday: Mix of sun and cloud. Alpine temperatures near +1 and freezing levels 2000 m. Ridgetop wind strong from the southwest.
Friday: Mostly cloudy with 5 cm of new snow. Alpine temperatures near -5 and freezing levels 1600 m. Ridgetop wind moderate from the southwest.
Saturday: Cloudy with snow 5-10 cm. Alpine temperatures near -6 and freezing levels 1300 m. Ridgetop wind moderate from the southwest.
Snow surfaces vary at the moment. Surface hoar up to 10 mm in size exists at treeline and above. Sunny skies and warm temperatures formed sun crusts on solar aspects and at all elevations and up to 2000 m on polar aspects. Dry snow still exists on north aspects at upper elevations. Large cornices loom over alpine ridgetops.
Persistent weak layers of surface hoar, crusts, and/or facets 80-120 cm down have recently been unreactive except for an explosives triggered avalanche in the southeast of the region on Saturday.
