Avalanche Forecast

Poor - Due to the number of field observations

Thursday: Mainly cloudy with showers or wet flurries and sunny breaks (5 mm or cm). The freezing level is around 1800-2000 m and winds are light but gusty from the SW. Friday: Cloudy with sunny breaks and a chance of precipitation. The freezing level is around 2000-2200 m and ridge winds are light from the W-SW. Saturday: Cloudy with flurries or showers. The freezing level is around 2200 m and ridge winds are light from the south.  

Warm temperatures and sunshine have probably resulting in some loose wet avalanche activity, primarily from solar aspects. Isolated cornice collapses are also likely. We have not received any reports of deeper slab avalanches but I would not rule these out, especially considering the weather of the past couple days.

Note: We have very little recent data to base this summary on. If you're out in the mountains ask other locals about the current conditions and spend some time making snow and weather observations to help assess local hazard. Prior to the weekend the region received up to 40cm of new snow with the snow line hovering between 1500 and 1700 m. Since then we have seen mostly light amounts of precipitation with a snow line between 1800 and 2000 m. This recent snowfall overlies a melt-freeze crust in many areas. My best guess is that cold wintery snow still exists in high, north facing terrain while warm temperatures and solar radiation have created moist surfaces everywhere else. If there is a good overnight freeze these surfaces will exist as a hard crust.The deep facet/crust persistent weakness buried at the beginning of February (now down up to 80-100+ cm) should stay on your radar, especially on all alpine slopes during sunny periods. Any activity at this interface would be large and destructive. Also, give large sagging cornices a wide berth when traveling on or below corniced ridges.