Be aware of snow conditions that change with elevation and from aspect to another. Small storm slabs may exist in the alpine while wet snow may become a concern at lower elevations with daytime warming.
Weather Forecast
TONIGHT: Light flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind light, southeast. Alpine Temperature near -5. Freezing level 500 m.SATURDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Ridge wind light, northeast. Alpine Temperature near -4. Freezing level 1800 m.SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy, light flurries. Accumulation 5-10 cm. Ridge wind light, southwest. Alpine Temperature near -5. Freezing level 1500 m.MONDAY: Mostly cloudy, light flurries. Accumulation trace. Ridge wind light to moderate, west. Alpine temperature near -6. Freezing level 1500 m.
Avalanche Summary
Thursday there were reports of sloughs and small (size 1) loose, dry avalanches in steep terrain.On Wednesday there were reports of both skier triggered and natural wind slab releases up to size 1.5, as well as a size 2 natural cornice failure all on on north aspects between 2000 - 2400 m.Earlier in the week; a widespread natural avalanche cycle to size 3 was reported. These were primarily wet loose avalanches on sunny aspects.
Snowpack Summary
A light dusting of new snow (5-15 cm) covers a crust on all but high, north and east facing slopes that still have cold dry snow above a well-settled snowpack. Deeper persistent weak layers from January and December are generally considered dormant, but could wake up with a surface avalanche stepping down, cornice fall, or a human trigger in a shallow or variable-depth snowpack area. These layers consist of sun crust, surface hoar and/or facets.
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.