Incoming precipitation may arrive as a mix of rain and snow. Snowfall amounts will determine the hazard at upper elevations.
Confidence
Fair - Due to the number and quality of field observations
Weather Forecast
A Pacific moisture stream will bring precipitation into the region late Wednesday and into Thursday. There will be a brief clearing on Friday with freezing levels going up to 3000m. More precipitation will arrive in the region by Saturday morning and continue into Sunday. Ridge top winds are forecast to be moderate to strong and southwesterly with Wednesday's system. Freezing levels should hover around 1800m for the next 4 days with the exception of the "heat wave" on Friday.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanches have been reported. Forecast sunny skies may increase the likelihood of loose wet avalanches and cornice failures.
Snowpack Summary
Snow surfaces can best be described as variable. Melt-freeze conditions can be found on solar aspects in the alpine, and on all aspects at lower elevations. On high north-facing terrain, you'll likely find stubborn old wind slabs and surface facets. The snowpack is generally strong and well settled. However, large cornices may become weak with daytime warming.
Problems
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.