Bust out the sunglasses for another warm and sunny day. Warmth can weaken the snowpack quickly, so watch your exposure to steep, sunny slopes and cornices.
Summary
Confidence
Moderate - Freezing levels are uncertain on Monday
Weather Forecast
MONDAY: Sunny and warm. Freezing level near 3000 m. Alpine high near +7. Light winds. TUESDAY: Sunny and warm. Freezing level near 2300 m. Alpine high near +4. Light winds. WEDNESDAY: Mix of sun and cloud. Freezing level near 1700 m. Alpine high near +1. Light winds. More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.
Avalanche Summary
On Friday, loose wet avalanches released naturally below 1200 m. Skiers were able to trigger loose wet avalanches which ran on an ice layer down 15-20 cm. Size 2 wet slabs were also observed in the Sky Pilot area. These are thought to have occurred on Thursday or Friday. We appreciate any observations shared on the Mountain Information Network here.
Snowpack Summary
Warm temperatures have created moist surface snow, which has refrozen into crusts at low elevations and on sunny aspects. In the north of the region, you may find wind-affected snow or dry snow (on shady aspects) at upper elevations. Lingering cornices may fail with warming. A solid surface crust exists below about 1600 m.
Problems
Loose Wet
Sun and warmth can lead to loose wet and wet slab avalanche conditions. Look for clues like sticky snow, rollerballing or recent avalanche activity to indicate that the snowpack is losing cohesion.
Watch for terrain traps where small amounts of snow will acumulate into deep deposits.Minimize exposure to steep slopes on warm or sunny days.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
Cornices can weaken quickly with warming, and can act as triggers for avalanches on the slope below.
Cornices become weak with daytime heating, so travel early on exposed slopes.Give cornices a wide berth when travelling on or below ridges.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 14th, 2019 2:00PM
