The hazard may change rapidly from better to worse with daytime warming. The potential for large avalanches failing to ground is possible, but the consequences will be big. Good skiing can still be found with careful planning.
Summary
Problems
Loose Wet
The snowpack is near zero degrees, and very little warming is needed to create wet slushy avalanches, especially on solar aspects at lower elevations. These can gain mass rapidly.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Wet Slabs
The upper snowpack is now moist and isothermal to 2000m with a series of crusts in the top 90 cm. The crusts provide potential failure plains and good bed surfaces for avalanches. Recent large avalanches have been failing to the ground.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Cornices
There is good potential for cornice falls to produce large avalanches. Glide cracks are as big as crevasses, and are failing to ground. Some of these are bridged by snow and are hard to see.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Apr 18th, 2012 8:00AM