Pay Close attention to daytime warming and wind slab development. Good skiing can be found between 2,300 - 1,800 m in sheltered lower angle terrain.
Weather Forecast
Below freezing overnight temperatures into the weekend with day time freezing levels not extending into the alpine. Some snow may arrive on Friday and into the weekend. Winds will be westerly over the next 36 hours.
Snowpack Summary
At treeline and below warming temperatures and rain has increased the temperature of the snowpack. Moist snow in the upper pack can be anticipated. Surface crusts will form when temps drop. Solar facing slopes close to treeline may have buried crusts with slab snow above. Deeply buried weaknesses near ground. Windslabs in the alpine & treeline.
Avalanche Summary
Slab avalanches observed Tuesday and Wednesday up to size 2.5 from treeline and low alpine. All events are stepping to ground. Most are being triggered by wind loading with one cornice failure. Strong WSW winds are developing wind slabs. Afternoon warming and solar radiation is producing point and wet slab releases from below treeline.
Confidence
Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Thursday
Problems
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.
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.
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.