Avalanche Forecast

Fair

Monday: Cloudy with possible flurries early followed by sunny breaks. The freezing level is around 1400 m. Winds are light increasing to moderate from the northwest. Tuesday: A mix of sun and cloud. The freezing level climbs from 1000 m in the morning to 1700 m in the afternoon. Winds are light and variable. Wednesday: A mix of sun and cloud. Temperatures should climb even higher with the freezing level as high as 2500 m. Winds are light from the SW.

Numerous skier controlled slab avalanches up to size 1.5 were reported on Friday and Saturday. Most of these were within the recent storm snow and many were from freshly wind loaded features. It's likely that a fairly widespread natural avalanche cycle occurred on Saturday evening with heavy snowfall and strong winds.

Saturday night's storm dumped another 30-50 cm of dense snow with strong southerly ridgetop winds. The freezing level peaked around 1700 m, meaning low elevation terrain saw significant rain. Expect to find a crust at or near the surface below treeline. The early March melt-freeze crust is now down roughly 90-150 cm. This layer was found on all aspects at treeline and below, and on all but North aspects in the alpine. There are no new snowpack tests on this layer to report, but the continued loading and mild temperatures should help this weakness heal. The mid February crust/facet combo is generally buried quite deep (150 cm+), but there is still some potential for triggering this weakness with large loads in areas with thin or variable snowpack. I'm thinking rocky north-facing alpine slopes. Lastly, cornices have grown large during the past few weeks. Give them a wide berth, especially if temperatures are mild or the sun is out.