By midday it feels like spring in the alpine. Use caution near or below steep rock features on solar aspects.Best snow quality found in sheltered areas on shaded aspects.
Weather Forecast
A ridge of high pressure continues to dominate the region with no precipitation in the immediate future. A temperature inversion (-12 valley bottom, +2 alpine) keeps clouds trapped in the valleys while warm temps and sun bring spring like conditions to the alpine. Expect light winds from the west at ridge top... It might snow next week...
Snowpack Summary
The snowpack is well settled and for the time being the Nov 23 (dwn ~100cm) and Nov 26 (dwn ~75cm) crusts are bonding well. Large surface hoar is growing below the valley cloud layer and the upper snowpack is beginning to facet. The alpine has seen above freezing temps and a thin crust can be found on solar aspects.
Avalanche Summary
Numerous loose avalanches up to size 2 were observed on steep solar aspects, especially near rocky outcrops in the last few days. These avalanches have been triggered by warm alpine temps and strong solar heating.
Confidence
Due to the number of field observations
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.