It'll be a great weekend to be in the mountains with sunshine and warm weather. But this means managing overhead hazard will be very important. Also, continue to be curious about the bond at the mid-February crust layer.
Summary
Confidence
High - Confidence is due to a stable weather pattern with little change expected.
Weather Forecast
Friday night: Mainly clear. No precipitation. Light north winds. -10°C
Saturday: A mix of sun and clouds. No precipitation. Moderate north wind. A high of -2°C and a low of -8°C. Freezing levels around 1300m
Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds. Little precipitation but convective flurries possible . Moderate to strong winds from the north. A high of +2°C and a low of -5°C. Freezing levels rising to 2000m.Â
Monday: Mainly clear. No precipitation. Moderate winds from the north. A high of 0°C and a low of -5°C. Freezing levels at 1500m. Â
Avalanche Summary
Small loose wet avalanche were still being reported as of Friday afternoon.Â
The field team reported 2 slab avalanches that had been triggered by cornices earlier in the week. Check out the MIN here.Â
Snowpack Summary
40-60cm of well settled and bonded snow sits above the mid-February crust. Though this layer has not produced avalanche activity, professionals in the area are still treating it with suspicion. I encourage you to do the same. The upper snowpack is moist below 1500m due to warm temperatures. Cornices are looming in alpine areas.Â
The lower snowpack is well bridged by the mid-February crust and triggering avalanches below this layer is unlikely at this time.Â
Terrain and Travel
- As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.
- The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.
- Cornices may release remotely when approached.
- Avoid exposure to slopes that have cornices overhead.
- Cornice failure may trigger large avalanches.
Problems
Loose Wet
It's been warm and wet loose avalanches have been reported. Expect this problem to continue with warm temperatures through the weekend and manage overhead hazard accordingly.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Below Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
Cornices are waking up with warm temperatures. Cornices can be unpredictable so it's best to avoid them all together during these warm spells.
Aspects: North, North East, East, North West.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Mar 5th, 2022 3:00PM