Concern remains for instabilities related to the effects of solar radiation, warm daytime temperatures and rain at lower elevations. Also, watch for thin storm slabs in the alpine.
Confidence
Fair - Freezing levels are uncertain
Weather Forecast
Light flurries/rain showers will taper off Saturday night adding only a few cm's of new snow up high. Sunday may begin with a brief sunny period and then unsettled convective flurries are expected with no significant accumulations. Freezing levels on Sunday will be near 1800m, but cloudy conditions overnight Saturday will prevent a strong freeze.
Avalanche Summary
Very limited observations, but nothing new to report.
Snowpack Summary
Up to 15cm of recent snow at higher elevations has formed soft slabs in lee and cross-loaded terrain. Crusts remain widespread and vary considerably in thickness depending on aspect and elevation. Poor to little overnight recovery at lower elevations.
Problems
Loose Wet
Loose Wet avalanches are the release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry Avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Cornices
Cornice Fall is the release of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and deposits snow on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices range in size from small wind drifts of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow that are 30 feet (10 meters) or taller. They can break off the terrain suddenly and pull back onto the ridge top and catch people by surprise even on the flat ground above the slope. Even small cornices can have enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice Fall can entrain loose surface snow or trigger slab avalanches.
Storm Slabs
Storm Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer (a slab) of new snow that breaks within new snow or on the old snow surface. Storm-slabs typically last between a few hours and few days (following snowfall). Storm-slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.