Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Timing or intensity of solar radiation is uncertain on Sunday

Unsettled conditions, bringing light-moderate precipitation amounts, rising freezing levels and mostly cloudy skies through Monday. Tuesday will show the brunt of the frontal system and bring moderate-heavy precipitation.Sunday: Freezing levels rising to 1500 m. Mostly cloudy skies with possible sunny periods. Alpine temperatures near 1.0 degree. Ridgetop winds generally light from the SW with strong gusts. Monday/ Tuesday: Freezing levels rising to 2000 m with no re-freeze overnight. 15-20 mm expected each day and alpine temperatures near 2.0 degrees. Ridgetop winds remain strong from the SW.

On Friday, a deep persistent slab avalanche occurred on a NE aspect at 2400 m. It is suspect that it failed on the mid-March interface. Additionally, numerous size 1 storm slab avalanches were easily triggered by the weight of a person on leeward loaded slopes and on slopes that have the recently buried melt-freeze crust.

Higher elevation areas have recently received up to 20 cm of new snow which sits on a variety of old snow surfaces including surface hoar, facets and melt freeze crusts. Isolated wind slabs have formed and a poor bond seem to exist, especially on slopes with a melt-freeze crust.Recent warm temperatures have helped to settle and strengthen the upper snowpack and tests are producing hard resistant planar shears on the late March crust.Persistent weak layers exist lower in the snowpack. The mid-March surface hoar/ crust interface now down 80-110 cm and is decreasing in sensitivity to triggering. The early-March crust/facet layer is down about 100-150 cm and the early February layer is now down close to 200 cm. These layers are largely dormant at this time; however they should remain on your radar as we begin to transition into a warm-up with minimal overnight refreeze through the forecast period. These layers may re-awaken.