Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Glacier.
Weather Forecast
Precipitation will ease late this afternoon but expect moist snow and rain below 2000m. Possible sunny breaks later in the day with alpine temperatures reaching zero and moderate to strong SW winds. Freezing levels drop overnight and climb again with the arrival of another frontal system on Sunday morning with an additional 10mm of snow and rain.
Snowpack Summary
5 cm of moist snow overnight. 65cm of storm snow overlies the Feb 27 layer, which is a crust on SE-W aspects, widespread surface hoar/stellars on shaded aspects. Large cornices and reactive wind slabs on lee features. Feb 10 surface hoar/ crust layer is down 100cm and is unreactive in tests. Snow is moist below 1900m. Rain this morning up to 1250m.
Avalanche Summary
A widespread natural avalanche cycle was observed in the highway corridor. Wind slab releases on polar aspects, loose solar triggered on solar aspects and one large cornice triggered avalanche that ran size 3. Several size 1.5 wind slab avalanches were observed in the backcountry. These avalanches were on a wind loaded east aspect.
Confidence
Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain
Avalanche Problems
Wind Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 1 - 2
Persistent Slabs
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Likely
Expected Size: 2 - 3
Cornices
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood: Unlikely - Possible
Expected Size: 2 - 3