Summary
Confidence
Good - -1
Weather Forecast
Tuesday: Mainly sunny with no precipitation. Light winds. Freezing level around 1400m during the day and valley floor at night. Wednesday: Another mainly fine day, although some scattered flurries are possible in the evening. Light southerly winds. Freezing level around 750m. Thursday: Sun and cloud, with light snow beginning in the evening. Light to moderate south-west winds. Freezing level rising by evening to around 1100m.
Avalanche Summary
Solar warming is causing daily avalanches on steep sunny aspects, mostly in the size 1-1.5 range. Large chunks of cornice fall have been reported most days, with limited effect on the slope below.
Snowpack Summary
Very warm alpine temperatures recently melted surface snow layers. A crust (or moist snow, depending on the time of day) now exists to ridge top on solar aspects. Large weak cornices are plentiful. The upper snowpack appears to be settling well. Below about 1500m, a crust/facet combo buried in early January is still causing some operators concern. Reported wind slabs seem very localized and are gaining strength.
Problems
Cornices
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Loose Wet
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Feb 7th, 2012 3:00AM