Cornices
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Unlikely
- Size
- 1
A decent snow surface refreeze is expected to have occurred last night with below freezing air temperatures at the mid and upper elevations. Some overnight cloud cover may have contributed to a weaker refreeze below about 7,000' to 7,500' where overnight air temperatures remained above freezing. Cloud cover is a bit of a wild card today and may reduce snow surface melt on E-SE-S-SW-W aspects. Increasing SW winds will also slow snow surface melt today on wind exposed slopes. Where cloud cover remains thin, wind protected slopes in direct sun will likely soften during the late morning to midday hours. Some small areas of loose wet instabilities could form this afternoon with wind protected slopes in direct sun exposure being the most suspect.
There are lots of areas with firm snow surfaces out there and sliding falls remain a concern. Plan accordingly in terms of terrain, route selection, group ability, and equipment.