Extent of solar radiation and warming influence is uncertain. Use extra caution as the day progresses especially on South facing slopes.
Weather Forecast
Sunday night and Monday: The ridge of high pressure continues to bring dry conditions, well above normal temperatures. Inversion with temperatures reaching close to 0 degrees in the alpine, few clouds cover with valley clouds and moderate NW winds. Freezing level rising during the day to 1100 m.Tuesday: The ridge is moving slowly Eastward bringing more mild temperatures, few clouds and valley clouds and lighter winds from the NW. Similar temperatures, with freezing level remaining around 1000 m. Wednesday: A weak system should reach the region later during the day bringing light precipitation (12 mm), cooler temperatures (-8 C) and Southerly winds.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche was reported.
Snowpack Summary
The warm temperatures and solar radiation forecasted for tomorrow could weaken the recent windslabs and persistent slabs, especially those found on steep South facing slopes. If surface snow becomes moist, loose wet avalanches could also take place, and even though small in size, they could become a problem if thrown off your feet in a terrain trap. The recent storm snow sits above surface hoar layer, a sun crust on steep S to SW -facing slopes and facets. The surface hoar layer is still producing easy to moderate sudden planar shears below 1500 m. in sheltered areas. The distribution of these weaknesses is patchy, but where they exist, they may be triggered by the warming trend or under with the weight of a person or snowmobile. A strong mid-pack overlies a weak facet/crust layer near the base of the snowpack, which is now considered inactive.
Problems
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.
Persistent Slabs
Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.