Avalanche Forecast

High

A very active period of spring avalanche activity started Friday and has continued through Tuesday. Wet/loose natural and controlled avalanches have been widespread with numerous sz 3, and isolated sz 4's. Many slidepaths failed down to ground once the avalanches reached Treeline elevations and lower. The number of avalanches has started to taper off, but large destructive avalanches are still possible.

Warm temps have penetrated the snowpack creating an moist, isothermal snowpack treeline and below on all aspects and into the alpine on solar aspects. Buried crusts in the upper 50 cm are breaking down. Shallow snowpack features have loose, weak snow to ground.

20-40cm above the ground the Nov 17 basal weakness can still be found in many areas.

High pressure continues through Friday with high freezing levels and some building cloud towards the end of the week.

Tonight: Mostly clear, Alpine Low 9°C, FZL 3600m, light S ridgetop wind

Wed: Mix of sun/cloud, Alpine High 13°C, FZL 3700m, light SW winds

Thurs: Mix of sun/cloud, Alpine high 14°C, FZL 3600m, light E winds

• Avoid the runout zones of avalanche paths. Very large avalanches have been running full path.
• As surface loses cohesion due to melting, loose wet avalanches become common in steeper terrain.
• If triggered loose wet avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.