Another spring day! Manage your day to avoid exposure to south facing slopes in the afternoon as avalanche hazard increases.
Weather Forecast
A mix of sun and cloud today with isolated convective flurries. Light SW winds gusting to 40km/h, freezing levels rising to 2100m and an alpine high of zero. A low pressure system tracks inland this evening bringing 9cm of accumulation today and 8cm for Saturday. High pressure builds again late sunday, with freezing levels climbing to 3000m Monday.
Snowpack Summary
We are entering a typical spring pattern of daytime warming and overnight freezing that is turing moist surface snow into a crust by morning. Dry snow still exists on shaded aspects at high elevations. Cornices and wind loaded pockets lurk above treeline. The April 7th crust is now down 50-70cm and still a concern.
Avalanche Summary
A widespread loose wet avalanche cycle was observed yesterday afternoon in the backcountry and highway corridor. Numerous size 1.5-2.5 loose wet avalanches ran from steep rocky terrain during the heat of the day.
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.
Wind Slabs
Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind 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.