Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain

The snowfall from this weekend will taper off with a few scattered flurries on Monday morning, but nothing significant  as far as precipitation goes.  A high pressure ridge is forecast to be the big news in the weather pattern for next week. MONDAY: Freezing level dropping to 700 m overnight, then beginning to rise to 1500 m by midday. No precipitation in the forecast, winds forecast to be light to moderate from the northwest. TUESDAY: Freezing level starts at 2200m early Tuesday morning, then begins to rise  reaching 3000 m by early Tuesday evening. Light to moderate winds mostly from the north west, no precipitation in the forecast.  WEDNESDAY: Clearing skies and freezing level climbing to 3300m.  Winds from the north west, no precipitation forecast.

Few reports of avalanches from yesterday but are more likely the result of poor visibility rather than lack of activity.  Cornices, soft storm slabs and wind slabs at higher elevations, loose-wet avalanches as the spring sun comes,... out are the prime concerns these days.

At treeline and above small wind slabs overly a variety of surfaces include crust on solar aspects above 1300 m, moist or refrozen snow on all aspects below 1300 m, and settled wind slabs in exposed high elevation terrain. Surface hoar from March 23rd  is still being mentioned in the northern half of the region, and now may be covered by up to 20cm of recent storm snow.  Professional operators are  tracking two deep weak layers from early-January and February that are now down about 1 meter or more. These layers are generally dormant but might wake up with increased warming or a heavy trigger (like a cornice fall). Basal facets exist in some areas and have been shown to be reactive in the north of the region.  Rapid warming may wake up deeply buried weak layers.