Watch for changing surface conditions throughout the day. Rising freezing levels and sun increase the likelihood of loose wet avalanches.
Wet loose avalanches become increasingly likely as the freezing level stays elevated overnight, and rises to 2500 m on Friday. Highest concern should be given to sun affected slopes where warming will be amplified.
No new avalanches have been reported in the past few days. We expect loose wet avalanches in steep terrain from sun and rising freezing levels.
If you head out into the mountains, please share your photos or observations on the Mountain Information Network. Your information helps us understand local conditions!
Surface conditions range from a crust on sun affected slopes to surface hoar in sheltered and shaded terrain features. The rising temperatures will likely melt the surface snow and create a widespread crust once temperatures cool again.
50-70 cm of recent snow is settling, sitting over crusts on sun affected slopes, and surface hoar in shaded areas. The mid and lower snowpack consists of layers of well bonded snow and melt freeze crusts.
At 1000 m the snowpack depth is around 150 cm. In many areas, below treeline elevations are still below the threshold for avalanches.
Thursday Night
Clear skies. Moderate northerly winds. Freezing level remains around 2300 m overnight.
Friday
Clear skies. Alpine temperatures reach a high of 3 °C. Moderate northwest winds. Freezing level peaks at 2500 m late afternoon.
Saturday
Mainly cloudy with isolated flurries. Alpine temperatures reach a high of -3 °C. Freezing level around 300 metres. Moderate to strong northwest winds.
Sunday
5 cm possible overnight.
Partly cloudy with light westerly winds. Freezing level below valley bottom, alpine high of -10°C. Another 5-10 cm of snow possible over the day.
More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
