Avalanche Forecast

Good

Monday is looking to be a cloudy day with isolated sunny periods.  We may see a few cm of new snow but not a significant amount as the storm is winding down.  Temps in the alpine will be in the -5 range with winds again moderate out of the SW.  Freezing levels will be around 2100m.

No new avalanche activity was observed on Sunday but observations were limited due to visibility. 

Up to 30cm of recent storm snow has fallen.  Winds have increased into the moderate range out of the SW and as a result we are seeing new wind slabs develop in open wind affected terrain.  Field tests were showing these slabs to be about 30cm thick and despite them not being reactive in areas that we traveled on Sunday we believe that in more open areas along ridgelines and in gullied terrain, there is a potential for human triggering.  The sun didn't shine on Sunday at all, in fact it was a rather wintery day, but if the sun does come out its important to remember that stability will decrease quickly.  Avalanche danger at this time of year is highly variable based upon aspect, temperatures, solar radiation input as well as time of day.  Cornices are also growing with the input of new snow and moderate winds.  New load and warm temps can cause these cornices to fail so limit exposure time around this type of problem. Keep an eye on these factors as you travel throughout the mountains.  To review common spring avalanche problems click here.  This is the scenario that we are in at this time.