A poor overnight freeze resulted in several large avalanches. Expect touchy conditions until we see the freezing levels drop.
Weather Forecast
A cold front is expected to pass through the region later this afternoon/evening, bringing flurries and dropping the freezing levels to below 1000m overnight. Currently, freezing levels are in excess of 2000m. Winds will be moderate, gusting to strong, from the SW.
Snowpack Summary
A poor overnight freeze has left the surface snow moist at tree-line and alpine elevations, although some dry snow may be found on due north aspects above 2400m. Several crust layers in the upper 1-1.5m are potential sliding layers if the warmth percolates deeper into the snowpack. The mid and lower snowpack are very well settled.
Avalanche Summary
Plenty of activity overnight, due to the poor freeze overnight. A cornice-triggered size 3 slab pulled out of Grizzly Bowl overnight on a SE aspect. A size 3 slab failed off Avalanche Crest, running into low angle terrain. A glide-crack failed off of a S-facing slope on Cheops, producing a good size 3 that failed to ground, running into the creek.
Confidence
Freezing levels are uncertain
Problems
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.
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-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.