Warm weather and strong sunshine is very likely to set off loose snow avalanches, particularly on southerly aspects.
Summary
Confidence
High -
Weather Forecast
TUESDAY NIGHT: Flurries with no significant accumulation expected.WEDNESDAY: Lingering flurries in the morning, becoming sunny by the afternoon. Freezing level around 1600 m. Moderate easterly winds up to 30 km/h.THURSDAY: Dry and sunny. Freezing level around 1600 m. Winds light southeasterly, becoming calm in the afternoon. FRIDAY: Dry and sunny. Freezing level around 1700 m. Light westerly winds.
Avalanche Summary
When the sun comes out and temperatures rise during the day, loose wet avalanches will be very likely on sun-affected slopes.
Snowpack Summary
Dry snow may still be found on shady slopes in the alpine. At these locations, 30-50 cm of well settled snow overlies a layer of weak
facets that was buried around March 10th. This is currently the primary layer of concern for human triggering persistent slab avalanches, although there have been no recent reports of avalanches on this layer.Lower down in the snowpack, the base is composed of weak facets. Large avalanches initiating on these facets are unlikely, but feasible, as we go through another period of warming. They are most likely to occur on steep, smooth, rocky, terrain in areas where the snowpack depth is shallow.The prolonged warm spell has transitioned sun exposed slopes in the alpine and all aspects at treeline and below towards becoming isothermal (0 C throughout the snowpack). In these areas, spring conditions are in effect; the avalanche hazard will fluctuate greatly depending on the strength of the overnight freeze and how quickly the snowpack is warmed up each day. Check out this guide to managing avalanche hazard during spring conditions
here.
jfloyer,
Avalanche Canada
