Confidence
Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain
Weather Forecast
This region should remain dry from Sunday through Tuesday. Freezing levels will be around 1800 m on Sunday, with an overnight freeze expected on Sunday night. On Monday, freezing levels will go to around 2200 m and on Tuesday to 2500 m. Little overnight freeze is expected for Monday night as high cloud will prevent the heat escaping. Winds are expected to be light southeasterly for Sunday and Monday, veering southerly on Tuesday.
Avalanche Summary
Two remote-triggered avalanches were reported from this region on Friday. One was a size 2.5 on an east aspect near a ridgeline that was triggered close to the slope it ran on. The other was a size 2 on a south aspect that was triggered from 50 m away. Both ran on the crust that formed at the end of March. A cornice release was also reported from this region on a northeast aspect, which resulted in a size 2 slab on the slope below.
Snowpack Summary
Over the past week up to 60 cm of recent storm snow has fallen. Southeasterly through northeasterly winds have promoted wind slab formation as well as cornice development at upper elevations. Although generally settling and bonding well, instabilities may still be found in the recent storm snow and lower down on a crust that formed near the end of March. Daytime warming and sun-exposure will cause surface snow to lose cohesion and cornices to weaken. There is also the possibility for wet slabs to release on steep solar aspects during prolonged periods of warming.
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.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.