Snow is disappearing fast from lower elevations but overhead and alpine avalanche hazard still exists.
Weather Forecast
Light snow overnight Saturday through Sunday with daytime temperature staying below freezing in the townsite. Winds will remain light from the NE
Snowpack Summary
Warm temperatures and rain have started a melt freeze cycle in the eastern slope of Waterton. Snow has been disappearing fast at lower elevations and south facing aspects, but wind loaded gulleys and north facing slope in the alpine are still holding snow.
Avalanche Summary
Small loose wet avalanches off steep terrain as the sun comes out and temperatures rise throughout the day.
Confidence
Due to the number and quality 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.
Deep Persistent Slabs
Deep Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a thick cohesive layer of hard snow (a slab), when the bond breaks between the slab and an underlying persistent weak layer deep in the snowpack. The most common persistent weak layers involved in deep, persistent slabs are depth hoar or facets surrounding a deeply buried crust. Deep Persistent Slabs are typically hard to trigger, are very destructive and dangerous due to the large mass of snow involved, and can persist for months once developed. They are often triggered from areas where the snow is shallow and weak, and are particularly difficult to forecast for and manage.